For most of us, recycling is something we do with aluminum cans, glass bottles, and paper. Oh… and cardboard and plastic.

Were it that simple.

The sad truth is that, while we do recycle all these types of waste products, there are many, many more items and materials that can be recycled. And, unfortunately, there are some materials that cannot be recycled, like many plastics that we tend to put into recycling bins anyway.

And, of the many other things that can be recycled but often are not, electronic waste – or e-waste – is a big category. The problem is that many of us are not familiar with e-waste, what constitutes e-waste, nor how to properly dispose of it so that it is recycled.

This is why Junk King Washington DC specializes in e-waste junk removal and e-waste recycling.

When Junk Removal Includes Electronic Waste

Have you ever found yourself in the midst of a major spring cleaning project or other big house cleaning project, and realize you have more stuff to get rid of than you can manage on your own?

And, perhaps, some of those piles of junk include old TVs, computers, maybe a broken tablet, and even a junk stereo system. Throw in a broken Xbox or broken PlayStation game console and you’ve got a lot of e-waste. And you might not have even realized all this junk was considered “e-waste.”

So, you grab your phone and start searching for “junk removal near me” or, maybe, “TV recycling near me” or even for computer recycling if you have quite a few of those items laying around.

But you’re not likely to be searching for “e-waste recycling near me.”

In fact, it’s quite likely that, if you’re like most people, you probably didn’t even realize that e-waste recycling was really a thing.

Yet, it is. And now you know!

So, the next reasonable question would be, “How do I get my e-waste junk recycled?”

And we’re glad you asked.

The Exciting World of E-Waste Recycling

Okay, so maybe not so exciting to most of us. But it is actually a fascinating – and exploding – industry.

When you consider that just about every product that contains electronics has an end life and must be disposed of eventually, the potential for recycling these waste products is massive. And we’re not just talking about computers, TVs, and laptops. It can include everything electronic – even smartwatch and smartphone recycling.

And the volume of electronics just in the United States, not to mention the rest of the world, is huge and growing larger every year.

While accurate figures are difficult to pin down given that those numbers are not fixed or static, we still have a close estimate of the amount of e-waste that is generated in the United States and, of that, how much is actually recycled.

As recently as 2019, it was estimated that the U.S. produced 6.92 million tons of e-waste or about 46 pounds per person. Of all the nations in the world, only China produced more than we did at a whopping 10.13 million tons. However, when you consider that the United States represents only 4.25 percent of the world’s population compared to China’s 18.50 percent, we have really outdone ourselves!

More distressing is the fact that, according to one estimate, only 17 percent of electronic waste in the U.S. gets recycled.

But there are huge benefits to be had with increased e-waste recycling and Junk King Washington DC is ready to help you help our planet by hauling your e-waste and other junk for you.

What kind of benefits, you ask? Here’s a brief overview:

• The value of the raw materials contained in the e-waste produced in the U.S. during 2019 was $7.49 billion. That’s right. We threw away billions of dollars’ worth of materials that could be used again.
• Recycling 1 million laptops saves the energy equivalent to the electricity used by 3,657 U.S. homes in a year.
• For every million cell phones that are recycled, 35,274 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold, and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered.
• One ton of circuit boards is estimated to contain 40 to 800 times more gold than one metric ton of ore. There is 30 to 40 times more copper in a ton of circuit boards that can be mined from one metric ton of ore.

Another Good Reason Why E-Waste Recycling in the Washington DC Region Matters

Along with helping you with your e-waste recycling, Junk King Washington DC shares a very real concern for our environment – both globally and locally.

We have always been a genuinely green business and our junk disposal process successfully sees that 60 percent or more of all the junk we collect – including e-waste – is recycled. And while anything going into landfills is a terrible thing, some things are far worse than others. Like e-waste.

As one website pointed out,

“When e-waste is exposed to the heat, toxic chemicals are released into the air damaging the atmosphere; this is one of the biggest environmental impacts of e-waste. Those toxic materials can then seep into the groundwater, affecting both land and sea animals. Electronic waste can also contribute to air pollution.”

And, according to the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are also problems with toxic materials leaching into the environment. Landfilling (and illegal dumping) can expose humans to elevated levels of contaminants such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic, which can lead to irreversible health effects, including cancers, miscarriages, neurological damage, and diminished IQs.

These are not issues that we want to see cropping up in our neighborhoods, nor anywhere else in the greater Washington DC area.

So, when it comes to properly getting rid of and disposing of your e-waste, Junk King Washington DC is standing by, ready to help.

Make E-Waste Recycling Easier with Junk King Washington DC

No one enjoys taking their own junk out for disposal. In fact, not everyone can. And the process required for proper disposal and recycling of e-waste can often be confusing. Which is why you need to call Junk King!

Junk King Washington DC is part of one of the nation’s largest and most respected junk removal firms. As a 100 percent veteran-owned and local business, we are also committed to being a green and eco-friendly business, as well. In addition, we believe in always providing world-class service to our friends and neighbors living in the greater Washington DC area.

And the good news is that spring cleaning debris, bulk trash, and junk removal couldn’t be any easier – or greener!

Our professional and insured trash and junk removal team will come to your home or place of work, and we’ll always call 15 to 30 minutes before we arrive. Once there, we’ll also give you a free estimate based on how much room all of the debris, trash, and other junk will take up in our truck.

You simply point, and we’ll load all of the trash and debris, as well as any e-waste items and other junk, into our clean junk removal trucks. And we’ll haul it away without any hidden fees or added charges.

Or, if you prefer to load your junk and e-waste yourself and on your own schedule, you can book one of our convenient MINI Dumpster rentals and have us pick it up when you’re done. With far more capacity than a Bagster® bag, our unique dumpster rental units are perfect for house cleanouts.

So, ready to get rid of e-waste for recycling? It can be as simple as 1, 2, 3.

You can make an appointment by booking online above or call us at 1.888.888.JUNK (5865).