One of the largest recycling problems faced by most countries comes down to the sheer volume of computer electronics that are obsolete and outdated. With technology advances showing no signs of slowing down, it"s no wonder that businesses and home users are constantly upgrading computer monitors.

It"s easy to say that you should be recycling old electronics because it"s the right thing to do. But it"s far more important to understand the fundamental impacts that electronics have on our world when they end up in the trash.

But even modern LCD monitors contain many different metals and chemicals that are perfectly safe when they are contained. But even small amounts of them in the open air canseriously damage animals, plants, and humans.

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, then you can bring your old e-waste to the GreenCitizen recycling facility. The company has years of experience in recycling electronic devices and offers competitive rates.

The recycling process for computers and monitors starts with carefully taking apart the electronics into their individual components. There are plenty of plastics, and then there"s the glass and multiple circuit boards.

Public opinion and media attention, and through countries and states introducing legislation, have forced many manufacturers to create their own recycling program for electronic items.

LGoffers a simple process where you can find a drop-off site near you or mail your monitor in at your own expense. The company accepts all electronics that they manufacture, and they partner with some of the largest recycling companies.

Many major electronics stores now offer a recycling program where you can drop off computers, laptops, TVs, monitors, and anything electrical that you bought there.

While most municipalities no longer run a curbside recycling program, a lot of them will have a drop-off center with an electronics recycling program.

In line with a long-standing Electronic Waste Recycling Act, municipalities in California have been leading the way through a program called CalRecycle.

And the one thing that beats dropping off a computer monitor at a recycling program is to make sure that someone gets as much use out of it as possible.

Reusing electronics as is without refurbishing or recycling is an ideal choice, especially since there are so many people that can"t afford the latest and greatest in modern technology.

I already mentioned the services that GreenCitizen offers for a wide range of electronics. So, let"s take a closer look at the recycling program available.

They will then check your free recycling items, and they"ll weigh the fee items. All this only takes a few minutes, and you can pay straight away with the reassurance that the company will properly handle all the electronics.

If you"re not within driving distance of GreenCitizen, you can still opt for ourfree and fee recycling program. What you need to do is separate the free to recycle items and place those electronic devices in a separate box.

Then weigh the fee items and fill out the mail-in recycling form. All that"s left is to pay the fee online and receive the shipping instructions. You can then use your preferred shipping company to have your old computer monitors and other equipment sent to the recycling center.

GreenCitizen has created a Green Directoryof recycling service providers around the country with an easy-to-use search function. You simply enter what you need to recycle and what your zip code is, and you"ll receive the nearest company that offers a business collection or drop-off program.

No, most municipalities don"t operate a curbside recycling program for your old monitor. Leaving a monitor out in the open can also further damage it, making recycling more difficult.

The penalty for not recycling old computer monitors is different from state to state and county to county. In many cases, it ranges from $50 to several hundred dollars, which should be enough incentive not to throw it in the trash.

The easiest way to get rid of working electronics for free is to drop them off at Goodwill or a charity store. If they are relatively new, then you may also be able to recycle them for free at a local recycling center.

I strongly suggest starting your recycling effort with GreenCitizen, and even if they aren"t close enough to deal with your old computer screen, laptop, or other devices, our Green Directory will be able to point you to your closest service.

Electronics donation and recycling is a great way to help conserve resources and natural materials. It is important to make sure you are donating and/or recycling electronics safely and correctly.

Electronic products are made from valuable resources and materials, including metals, plastics, and glass, all of which require energy to mine and manufacture. Donating or recycling consumer electronics conserves our natural resources and avoids air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by manufacturing virgin materials.

Lithium-ion batteries and devices containing these batteries should NOT go in household garbage or recycling bins. To learn more about proper disposal of batteries.

DTSC does not classify smartphones with LCD screens greater than four inches as CEDs. Alternatively, cell phones, including smartphones with screen sizes greater than four inches, are subject to a statutorily mandated collection and recycling program pursuant to the Cell Phone Recycling Act of 2004 (Chapter 8.6 of Part 3 of Division 30 of the Public Resource Code).

The law requires the retailer to separately state the electronic waste recycling fee on the customer"s receipt. The CDTFA does not prescribe any particular format for the invoice, but you must be able to determine if the correct amount was collected and remitted on the number of CEDs sold. Either the CalRecycle or DTSC could later adopt a regulation prescribing the look of the invoice or receipt.

Under an optional warranty, the repairer is considered the consumer of the CED. The repairer should pay the fee on any new or refurbished replacement CEDs provided, either at the time of purchase or by reporting these CEDs as self-consumed on line 2 of their CDTFA-501-ER, Electronic Waste Recycling Fee Return.

A credit may be claimed on your CDTFA-501-ER, Electronic Waste Recycling Fee Return, for fees refunded to customers if you have reported and paid the fee on a previous return or, if you gave the refund during the reporting period.

Proof that the eWaste fee was paid upon purchase of a CED does not need to be provided upon disposal. The disposal of a CED is a separate transaction from the purchase of a CED. The disposal facility may or may not charge the consumer a fee to dispose a CED, but either way, it will not be dependent upon a consumer having first paid an Electronic Waste Recycling Fee at the time they purchased the CED.

The eWaste law states that consumers will be provided with “cost free opportunities” to dispose their computers, monitors, and TVs. However, the CDTFA does not administer this portion of the law. Please contact the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) with your inquiry. They are responsible for administering the recycling programs. Contact information for the CalRecycle is listed below.

As technological advancements make computers and other IT hardware a common commodity in households and workplaces, there is also a surge in the computer recycling and disposal of e-waste. Disposing of a computer effectively is very crucial to the environment as well as the people.

To save these resources from going to waste and preventing the release of harmful chemicals and toxins in the air, we must take a step towards computer recycling processes that are safe and ethical.

State law requires retailers of Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cad), Button and Lithium Ion batteries to accept them back for recycling. These retailers include: Best Buy, Lowes, Home Depot, Sears, Sprint, Target, Radio Shack, Batteries Plus, and Verizon Wireless. Effective Dec. 5, 2011, state law prohibits persons from knowingly disposing of most rechargeable batteries in the garbage.

NOTE--Regular household alkaline or zinc batteries can be disposed of in the trash. For a fee-based alkaline/zinc battery recycling program, visit: www.thinkgreenfromhome.com/batteries.cfm.

Recent research from the Environmental Protection Agency shows the amount of e-waste produced is growing at a rate three times faster than municipal trash. With technology constantly being updated, the lifespan of electronics is rapidly diminishing. This makes the need for recycling these items more important than ever.

Working and non-working electronic devices may be acceptable for donation for reuse or repair. Televisions and computer monitors are accepted for free by many thrift stores and the Miramar Recycling Center. Call your favorite local thrift store, charity or non-profit for information regarding items accepted.

Cassette and VHS tapes - VHS cassette tapes and magnetic recording tape are accepted at our electronics recycling area.  Customers must remove the tapes from their plastic outer case (i.e., leaving just the cassette or reel of tape), which can be disposed of as trash.

Products are made from metal, plastics, and glass -- all of which require energy to mine and manufacture. Reusing and recycling these materials conserves natural resources. In addition, many electronics contain lead, mercury, beryllium and cadmium. If improperly disposed of, these contaminants may be released into the environment.

When possible, electronics are refurbished and/or resold. In some cases, electronics are disassembled, sorted by material (metals, plastics, glass, etc.) and sold on the recyclables market. Hazardous components, such as leaded glass in certain computer monitors or TVs, are removed and sent for proper recovery and recycling in a permitted hazardous waste facility. For more information, visit Securis, Fairfax County VA Electronics Recycling and Data Destruction.

Properly recycling electronics conserves natural resources, ensures appropriate handling of toxic materials, provides a more sustainable source of precious metals, and protects human health and the environment.

For concerns about data security, please see the following best practices for data-bearing electronic equipment. Electronics collectors recommend that consumers use commercially available data-erasing software to ensure data is removed from the equipment prior to returning for recycling. Electronics recycler protocol is to wipe or physically destroy data-bearing electronic equipment, but it is prudent for residents to erase data out of an abundance of caution.

If the manufacturer does not have a recycling program, check the Internet for other recycling options. Some manufacturers will accept competitor"s equipment in their

Before recycling or donating electronics, it is important that you remove all personal and/or confidential information. Simply deleting files will not remove them from your device. Free data destruction software can be found online. If you are not able to do this yourself, many retailers offer this service for a small fee, and many manufacturers provide information on how to “wipe” their devices on their websites.

Many e-waste collection sites throughout the state are participating in Indiana E-Cycle. The program provides electronics recycling collection opportunities for households, public schools, and small businesses in the state.

Many of Indiana’s solid waste management districts offer electronics recycling programs for residents in their area and are knowledgeable about local electronics recycling options. Please contact your district for more information.

Many manufacturers of electronics offer take-back programs and will accept the products they produce for recycling. The following manufacturers registered with Indiana E-Cycle have such programs and many accept all brands:

Electronic devices contain a variety of materials, including metals that can be recovered for recycling. Recycling your waste electronics saves resources because new metals don"t have to be mined.

It is transported to a sustainably certified recycling facility in California where is it carefully dismantled into different components (metals, plastic, glass, etc.). This material then goes to manufacturing facilities to be reprocessed into new products.

As you enter the Recycling Center, follow the road to the far side of the lot. Look for the enclosed roll-off containers. These items are separated by type, look for signs. Large appliances and microwaves are to be placed in the Appliances containers, and electronics and small appliances are to be placed in the Electronics containers.

Appliances: Fill out a payment slip, these are located on the inside of the roll-off door. Mark how many items you have andload them neatly into the roll off from rear to the front. Pay inside the recycling center after you have loaded. Recycling Staff is not available to assist in loading/unloading. Please bring assistance with you if you need it.

Load all items into the boxes that are located inside the roll-off. Please load the items neatly filling the boxes in the rear first. Pay inside the recycling center after you have loaded. Recycling Staff is not available to assist in loading/unloading. Please bring assistance with you if you need it.

If you need assistance loading/unloading: If you require assistance loading and unloading your items, our two contracted sites are able to help you with your recycling needs.