Taking out the trash has certainly become a bit more complicated in recent years. A couple decades ago, most households most likely simply threw all of their e-waste into the same trash can before eventually hauling that trash out to the curb every week. Today, however, most waste management companies have strict rules and regulations about what types of waste can be taken away. If your local city or town has a recycling operation, you might even have to separate your waste, with organic waste being picked up one day, recyclable plastics, glass, and metals being picked up a different day, and all other trash being picked up on a third day.
To make matters even more complicated, most municipal waste management companies have specific regulations for properly disposing of e-waste (electronic waste) products. In almost every instance, simply throwing away your used computer, cell phone, or other electronic appliances and devices with the regular trash is strictly prohibited. Below, we briefly explain what e-waste is, and how individuals, homeowners, and business owners can responsibly and efficiently get rid of their e-waste in the Contra Costa County.
What is Electronic Waste and Why does it Pose a Potential Threat?
According to Cal Recycle, e-waste is defined as “a popular, informal name for electronic products nearing the end of their useful life. Computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are common electronic products.” Today, there are an enormous amount of electronic products that we use daily. From the electric kettle that brews our morning coffee, to the computers, cell phones, and other “screens” that we use during our work day, to the TVs, DVDs, and stereos that help us relax and wind down once we return home, sources of e-waste can be found in every room of the home.
Unfortunately, many of the electronics and appliances we use daily have notably short lifespans. For example, the average cell phone is only used for 2.5 years before eventually being replaced. Larger appliances such as refrigerators might last for 10-12 years before also needing to be replaced while the average life expectancy of an LCD TV is between 30,000 – 60,000 hours, or 5-7 years.
When these electronic devices do eventually break down, the long list of chemicals and heavy metals that go into their manufacture pose a particular threat to both people and the surrounding environment. Many types of appliances and electronics contain toxic elements such as mercury, lead, beryllium, brominated flame retardants, and cadmium. When these electronics sent to the landfill these chemicals tend to end up in our soil, water, and air. E-waste contamination has been linked to numerous health hazards, including:
- -Reproductive issues.
- -Developmental problems.
- -Damage to the immune system.
- -Interference with regulatory hormones.
- -Damage to the nervous system.
- -Kidney damage.
- -Hamper’s brain development in children.
- -May lead to lung cancer.
California Laws on E-Waste Removal
As is often the case, the State of California was at the forefront of regulating e-waste disposal to minimize both human health and environmental effects. With the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003, incentives have been put in place to foster cost-free recycling opportunities for consumers throughout the state. These efforts have helped to reduce illegal dumping of e-waste content and to eliminate the stockpile of waste computer monitors, TVs, and other common sources of e-waste.
The law has also helped consumers across California find ways to deal with their e-waste. This helpful site allows individuals, homeowners, and business owners to search for the nearest recycling or donation centers near you, including organizations and businesses that specifically deal with e-waste.
E-waste Removal with Junk King of Contra Costa
If you don’t have the time or means to physically transport your e-waste to the nearest recycling or collection facility, Junk King of Contra Costa offers a reliable, efficient, and environmentally responsible way to get rid of your e-waste items. Junk King of Contra Costa offers an efficient (and legal) way to get rid of almost all of your e-waste items, including TVs, DVDs, refrigerators, freezers, computers, cell phones, and more.
Our junk removal team has developed a huge network of relationships with local recycling organizations, non-profits, donation centers, and scrap metal purchasers to ensure that all of your e-waste is kept out of local landfills. If you have a perfectly functional TV that you want to donate, we´ll make sure that it gets into the right hands so that somebody else can continue to use it. On the hand, if your old cell phone or computer is broken beyond repair, we will ensure that it is taken to a place where it will be properly recycled.
As a whole, Junk King is proud to say that we can recycle, donate, or refurbish at least 60 percent of the junk items that we pick up, making us the greenest junk removal company in the nation. With e-waste items, however, we make sure that all of these potentially toxic junk items stay out of landfills.
Another reason to choose Junk King of Contra Costa is because our customer service is second to none. We understand that our clients come to Junk King to get help solving problems they can’t easily solve themselves. For this reason, we make every effort to ensure that getting rid of e-waste is as easy and hassle-free as possible. For larger and heavier e-waste items such as air conditioners, furnaces, washers, dryers, and refrigerators, our team of professional junk removal technicians will do all the heavy lifting and hauling, thus helping you avoid a sore back and dented walls.
By working with Junk King of Contra Costa, you can rest assured that we will do everything possible to help you get rid of your junk quickly, efficiently, and respectfully. Besides going the extra mile to recycle or reuse a large portion of what we pick up, we also are proud to say that we have the lowest pricing in the market we serve.
Junk King Contra Costa offers professional, efficient, and environmentally friendly e-waste removal services for residents of the Contra Costa region, including residents of Alameda, Alamo, Albany, Antioch, Berkeley, Brentwood, Byron, Clayton, Concord, Crockett, Danville, Livermore, Oakland, Pleasanton, Richmond, San Leandro, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek.
How to Hire Junk King Contra Costa
If you live in the Contra Costa region and need to get rid of your e-waste items, simply give us a call at (925) 289-8511 or 1-888-888-5865 (JUNK). You can also book us online by filling out the form found here. Also, you can text us an image of the junk that you need hauled away at 1-737-888-5865 and we will text you back a price estimate.
Once you have agreed to the price we send back to you, you simply have to pick a date and a two-hour window. In many cases, we might even be able to offer same day service. Our junk removal professionals will call you 15 minutes before arrival, and all you have to do is show us where the junk is. Call us today to get rid of your e-waste efficiently and sustainably!
Text Us
