As electronic devices have become more affordable, American consumers acquire new devices and upgrade old equipment, which has made electronic waste (eWaste) more common. eWaste includes old computers, cell phones, televisions, DVD/VHS players, stereos and printers. Since electronics contain hazardous materials, such as cadmium, lead, and mercury, they cannot be thrown in the garbage.
If not properly disposed of, these hazardous materials can become hazardous to human health and contaminate the environment. To prevent improper disposal, electronics must be recycled. Materials used in electronics take considerable amounts of energy to process and manufacture. Recycling electronics helps the environment by conserving natural resources, saving energy, and reducing waste, which keeps reusable materials out of landfills.
n Americans now own approximately 24 electronic products per household.
n Electronic waste accounts for 2 – 5% of U.S. household garbage and is the fastest growing municipal waste stream in the U.S.
n Electronics are the leading source of lead and mercury in the municipal waste stream. A typical desktop computer contains 27 grams of lead — a potent toxin that provides no health benefit to humans.
n Manufacturing one computer and monitor takes 530 pounds of fossil fuels, 48 pounds of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water.
Most eWaste is regulated under hazardous waste, if not recycled, and most states have land ban restrictions to prohibit landfill disposal. Postal Service® policy calls for the resale and recycling of the eWaste it generates at the Topeka Asset Recovery Center. Help keep eWaste out of landfills and protect our community and the environment by shipping Postal-owned eWaste to the Topeka Asset Recovery Center.
n Don’t trash electronics — eWaste must be recycled.
n Package eWaste using available shipping containers.
n Send all old USPS electronics to the Asset Recovery Center at:
USPS Asset Recovery Center
7215 S. Topeka Blvd, Bldg. 3D
Topeka, KS 66624-9998.
n Recycle all electronic equipment. eWaste is any electronic waste that is either broken or obsolete. A wide range of items are considered eWaste, including televisions, computer monitors, keyboards, audio and stereo equipment, VCRs and DVD players, video cameras, telephones, cell phones, printers, copy machines, scanners, video game consoles, and many other products.
n Electronic equipment contains hazardous materials. Scanners, cell phones, Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT), and computers contain appreciable amounts of lead, a hazardous material that should never be disposed of in a landfill.
n Cell phones must be recycled. The EPA has determined that a typical cell phone contains 1 gram of mercury — a sufficient quantity to pose a threat to soil and water quality, if disposed of in landfills.
n If it has a plug or operates on a battery, recycle it. The Topeka Asset Recovery Center takes DVD and CD players, cell phones, car chargers, fax machines, scanners, pagers, power cords, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), wires and cables, printers, surge protectors, keyboards, and other peripherals.
n Use the USPS Recycling program. Before you dispose of any eWaste, get acquainted with the Postal Service’s electronics recycling program.
n Your efforts count. If every American recycled his or her eWaste daily, we could reduce solid waste by more than 1.5 million tons a year.
n Get involved. Learn more about how to recycle eWaste, save energy, and join a Lean Green Team at the USPS Sustainability website: http://blue.usps.gov/sustainability/electronic_stewardship.htm.
n To obtain a list of recyclable electronic equipment for the Topeka Asset Recovery Center, go to: http://blue.usps.gov/sustainability/electronic_stewardship.htm.
n To find a local eCycling center in your area, visit www.earth911.com.
