{"id":26209,"date":"2024-05-08T10:00:12","date_gmt":"2024-05-08T14:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quantumlifecycle.com\/?p=26209"},"modified":"2024-06-07T07:50:56","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T11:50:56","slug":"busting-common-misconceptions-about-e-waste-recycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quantumlifecycle.com\/en_CA\/blog\/busting-common-misconceptions-about-e-waste-recycling\/","title":{"rendered":"Busting Common Misconceptions About E-Waste Recycling"},"content":{"rendered":"
Although electronic waste<\/a> (\u201ce-waste\u201d) advocacy is on the rise, knowledge gaps about this waste stream persist, especially in the area of e-waste recycling<\/a>. Many consumers haven\u2019t yet been informed about what takes place in the e-waste<\/a> recycling process<\/a> and why it matters. Here, we debunk some of the most common e-waste recycling<\/a> myths and share the truth behind them.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, some people hold the belief that waste accumulation in general is such a significant issue that their efforts to recycle<\/a> e-waste properly simply won\u2019t make a difference. Yet, the reality is that it\u2019s never been more important to focus on e-waste recycling. This is true not only for significant producers like manufacturers and importers, but from a consumer standpoint, too.<\/p>\n E-waste recycling efforts of any scale have many meaningful benefits<\/a>, including:<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve heard about the black market of e-waste<\/a>, you know that there have been some instances of illegitimate facilities sending electronics overseas instead of recycling them properly. While this is an unfortunate reality of the current state of e-waste, groups like the Basel Action Network (BAN) are working diligently to expose bad actors.<\/p>\n As scrutiny increases and e-waste legislation is developed, it will become more difficult for illegitimate recycling facilities to get away with these actions. In the meantime, the only way to guarantee that your unwanted electronics are actually being recycled properly is to turn them over to a certified company, like Quantum.<\/p>\n Some people want to recycle their e-waste properly, but they don\u2019t know how \u2013 and assume that it\u2019s probably too challenging or complex to do it properly. In fact, there\u2019s minimal effort involved with proper e-waste recycling.<\/p>\n While you can\u2019t combine it with your regular household trash, there are plenty of easy solutions for getting rid of unwanted e-waste the right way:<\/p>\n It\u2019s true that electronics recycling<\/a> can be a tedious \u2014\u00a0and therefore costly \u2014\u00a0process. Extracting various components for recycling is time-consuming, but advances in technology are making the processes more streamlined all the time. Further, there are steps you can take to prepare your electronics for recycling to drive efficiencies and keep costs down, such as making sure your devices aren\u2019t locked<\/a>.<\/p>\n Despite the complexities involved, there is significant value in electronics recycling. Recovering precious metals and other costly materials is one way e-waste recycling is economically viable, but there are also tremendous savings to be had from reducing environmental impacts. Additionally, reuse<\/a> initiatives can keep the costs of electronics down by controlling the demand for new devices.<\/p>\nMyth 1: Recycling e-waste doesn\u2019t make a difference.<\/h2>\n
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Myth 2: E-waste will just wind up in landfills.<\/h2>\n
Myth 3: It\u2019s too difficult to recycle e-waste properly.<\/h2>\n
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Myth 4: E-waste recycling isn\u2019t economically viable.<\/h2>\n