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Not everyone is familiar with the term “e-waste,” but almost everyone has some at home or at work.
A great description is provided by the Environmental Protection Agency website, or EPA. It states that “e-waste”, “electronic waste”, “e-scrap,” and “end-of-life electronics” are terms often used to describe used electronics that are nearing the end of their useful life, and are discarded, donated or given to a recycler.
The EPA goes on to point out, however,
“Though “e-waste” is the commonly used term, EPA considers e-waste to be a subset of used electronics and recognizes the inherent value of these materials that can be reused, refurbished or recycled to minimize the actual waste that might end up in a landfill or improperly disposed in an unprotected dump site either in the US or abroad.”
And that’s what Junk King Fairfax also sees as the biggest problem when it comes to e-waste removal and disposal in the Fairfax region, as well as the rest of the United States.
E-Waste Disposal and Recycling E-Waste: How’s That Working Out for
Us?
We live in a world that is largely dependent on electronic devices in most every arena of life. At home, at work, and at play, we use electronics almost daily – and we often do so with little thought to how they’re manufactured nor how they are disposed of.
And we routinely toss out old electronics without considering any potential consequences of e-waste.
As Earth911 relates for us,
“What is considered e-waste? More than just outdated mobile phones, e-waste is any electronic waste that is no longer wanted or is now obsolete, whether it works or not. Televisions, set-top boxes, DVD players, stereos, copiers, fax machines, tablets, computers, and plenty more electronic devices all become e-waste as soon as they are no longer wanted.”
Because electronic technology poses severe environmental consequences when it is landfilled as e-waste, it is vital that we recycle e-waste responsibly.
For example, when electronics break down over time, they release toxic chemicals into the soil, contaminating plants and trees. Improper disposal of e-waste can lead to toxins such as mercury, lead, and cadmium leaching into the groundwater, which can then flow into streams, ponds, and lakes.
In addition, if e-waste isn’t recycled, it’s often burned in incinerators. But because electronics are made up of plastics, glass, and metals, these produce dangerous emissions when burnt. Unfortunately, tons of waste electronics and other solid waste ends up in our oceans each year. The results of ocean dumping can be deadly to marine organisms, disturb biodiversity, and harm ecosystems.
The problem for most of us is that e-waste isn’t easy nor convenient to recycle.
While many local county and city governments often have e-waste collection days a few times a year, homeowners often end up having to store these unwanted or broken electronic waste items until they can be dropped off. And, while many electronic stores accept old electronics for recycling at no cost, this isn’t always simple or convenient either.
Which is why Junk King Fairfax specializes in e-waste disposal and recycling e-waste.
When Recycling E-Waste is a Challenge at Home or at Work
It’s a fact that we produce vast quantities of electronic waste in this country every year.
According to statistics put together by Earth911, in 2019, the U.S. generated 6.92 million tons of e-waste, which is equivalent to about 46 pounds per person. That means that in Fairfax County alone, for example, it’s quite probable that we generated almost 54 million tons of e-waste!
And, as a nation, we recycled only 15 percent of it.
By the way, the value of the raw materials that was contained in the e-waste produced in the U.S. during 2019 equaled $7.49 billion. In other words, without a comprehensive and effective recycling process for our old electronics, we are throwing away literally billions of dollars of gold, silver, and palladium, among other precious metals.
Tossing E-Waste in the Trash is not Recycling
But you cannot simply put your smaller old electronics in your recycling bin at home or at work, nor even in your commercial recycling dumpster.
Recycling e-waste requires disassembling the electronics, separating, and categorizing the contents by materials, and then cleaning them. E-waste items are then shredded mechanically for additional sorting with the use of advanced separation technologies.
And that’s in an ideal e-waste recycling world.
Or, as one source points out,
“[T]he range of different electronics makes dealing with “e-waste” as a single stream highly problematic, since recycling a fridge is very different f
rom recycling a smartphone. Further still, even individual electronic products are often made of mixed materials such as plastic, metal, and glass. This poses a problem for recyclers, as separating these materials is difficult, costly, and time-consuming, especially compared to single-material products like cans and glass bottles.”
Fortunately, by partnering with a professional junk removal company like Junk King Fairfax, all your e-waste disposal issues can be handled easily and affordably. And you can rest assured that it will also be done through a genuinely green process since Junk King is a major proponent of recycling e-waste and recycling in general.
Junk King Fairfax: Your Local Partner for Recycling E-Waste
Junk King Fairfax is ready to take care of all your e-waste and other junk rem
oval needs if you live in or near the greater Fairfax area.
We understand that your household or workplace junk can sometimes pile up. And the tho
ught of having to sort through it all and clear it out yourself can be overwhelming at times. Not matter whether your e-waste and other junk is piled up in your garage, attic, basement, or even a storage shed near your loading dock, we’ve got you covered.
No matter where it’s piling up, if you don’t want it or need it then it’s time to let us help you get rid of it!
At Junk King Fairfax we provide our friends and neighbors in the greater Fairfax are with efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly junk and debris removal services. And that includes e-waste. You can be certain that we are a green junk removal operation because we regularly recycle or reuse as much of everything we pick up daily.
Just make an appointment and our experienced junk removal team will carefully remove and haul off any types of junk or other unwanted items you might have. Not only do we specialize in e-waste removal and recycling, but our junk removal teams are also trained and equipped to handle all your larger junk items like old appliances.
Our professional and courteous junk removal team will show up at your home or office, on time, as promised, and we’ll call 15 to 30 minutes before we arrive. Once we’re on-site, we give you a free estimate based on how much room your e-waste and other junk will take up in our truck.
All you need do is simply point, and we’ll load those old junk items into our junk removal trucks and haul them away to be recycled, if possible, and with no hidden fees.
So, are you ready to get rid of your e-waste and have it recycled? It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3.
Just make an appointment by booking online above, or simply call us at 1.888.888.JUNK (5865).
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