Electronic waste is defined as loosely discarded, surplus, obsolete, or broken electrical and electronic devices.It consists of secondary computers, electronics,LCDs,computers,mobile phones etc which have been discarded or thrown by the owners.The rapid decline in the cost of semiconductors due to Moore’s law has led to a rapid increase in the size of the electronics industry which is more than $1 trillion dollar globally.Millions of electronics items are thrown out each year leading to mountains of Electronic Waste.If not treated and Recycled,E-Waste can be hazardous to the environment and lead to wastage of precious materials which can be reused.Lost electronic devices contain a variety of materials, including metals that can be recovered for future uses. By dismantling and providing reuse possibilities, intact natural resources are conserved and air and water pollution caused by hazardous disposal is avoided.Electronic Waste Recycling companies are quite disorganized without major global e-recycling companies.The E-Waste Manageress industry still consists mainly of thousands of workers in developing countries like India where they continue to work in dangerous conditions.1,200 small companies generated revenue of around $5 billion last year.This is expected to treble by 2015 as more countries make electronic waste management compulsory and the sheer volume of electronics grows (think iPads)
List of Major Electronic Waste Recycling Companies
Best Buy – This US Electronics Retail Giant has a very good e-waste recycling program.What is good is Best Buy recycliens not only its own electronics but also those of others.
Electronic Recyclers International (ERI) – Established in 2002, ERI is an electronic waste collector and recycler, specializing in the environmentally safe and socially responsible dismantling of electronic items such as computers, televisions and monitors.
EWC Recyclers – EWC started in 2003 and operations began in 2004 as an ewaste collector and naturally progressed to a fully operational recycler.
Best Buy Partners
Etm Green – ETM Green is an electronics equipment (ewaste) collection and processing facility located in Cranston, RI. The company provides ewaste recycling for both large and small companies and individuals
Note there are thousands of small electronic recycling firms so it is difficult to give an accurate list of all the companies.The companies listed above are a small sample of the global e-recycling industry which is estimated to be worth billions of dollars and growing at more than 10% annually.