lcd monitors cost money to recycle factory

For decades, American families spent evenings gathered around the flickering lights of cathode ray tube (CRT) television sets and connected their desktop computer towers to boxy, tube-powered monitors. But as technology has changed, these heavy, bulky devices fell swiftly out of favor in the last fifteen years, largely replaced by relatively light weight, sleek-looking flat screens. However, according to a 2014 survey by the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC), almost half (46%) of U.S. households still have at least one CRT television or computer monitor – and who knows how many of those are actively in use, or even usable.

As Americans continue to dispose of the roughly 5 billion pounds of CRT TVs and monitors currently in their homes, it’s an environmental and public health must to do it right. The best, and only truly safe way to dispose of your old tube televisions and monitors is through proper recycling. But, unlike the scrap metal and electronics most of us are more familiar with recycling, you’ll probably have to pay someone to take your CRT devices.

“One of the most common questions we get from customers is ‘Why am I being charged for this?’” says Marisa Head, spokesperson for Cohen Recycling. It can be confusing for customers, she says, because people expect to get paid for most scrap items, and they don’t assume TVs would be any different.

But it’s important for people to know: The costs aren’t new, and they’re definitely not arbitrary. In fact, if a recycling company is willing to take your TV at no charge, that could be a red flag. Here’s why you have to pay to recycle your CRT TV or computer monitor, and why it’s worth the money.

The monetary value in electronics recycling comes from breaking down consumer goods into component parts that can then be sold back into the manufacturing supply chain as raw material. Products like the old CRT TVs and computer monitors were typically shelled in wood or plastic, materials with little recovery value.

Still, many people understandably assume that because recycling companies can often pay to take computer towers and other electronic devices, they should pay — instead of charge — for tube style televisions and monitors. After all, these are still electronics, right? Don’t they have precious metals in their circuit boards and internal wiring?

The answer is yes, but not in quantities that make it worthwhile. “There’s a small circuit board with just trace amounts of gold, but you still have to be able to recover that gold, so you’re talking pennies, not dollars,” says Bob McCarthy, vice president of business development for Cohen Recycling’s electronics-focused subsidiary, Cobalt. “Then there’s copper wire, but again, we’re talking pennies, not dollars.”

But what really sends recycling the products into the net-negative is the cost associated with recycling their components responsibly. “Those old CRTs have lead in them,” says McCarthy. “It’s a hazardous material that needs to be handled properly, or else we end up with contaminants in the air and in the water.” These contaminants pose not just a threat to the environment, but to the community– and risks to the workers who must handle them.

The first step in recycling — taking the device apart — must be done by hand. While most electronics are placed in a shredder, which separates metals, plastics and other materials, human labor is required to dissemble CRT TVs and monitors.

Once the device is taken apart, the lead must be separated from the glass in the tube, a task that has proved difficult to get right. In recent years, four large companies that were handling the materials improperly have gone out of business, affecting the health of local communities by leaving large stockpiles of unprocessed material behind. Cohen partners with facilities that they’ve heavily vetted to do this work, but it’s nevertheless expensive – from labor, to shipping, to paying the company who will refine the material into something re-useable.

While Cohen is able to subsidize the costs of recycling some low-value products, such as TV remotes and old stereo systems, it just doesn’t balance with the CRT devices. “The products and commodities you get out of this once you dismantle aren’t worth what it costs to properly dispose of the finished product,” says Cobalt CEO Joey Fojtik.

If you or someone you know recycled a CRT television or computer monitor several years ago, there might not have been a charge. Companies such as Best Buy would accept these devices from consumers at no charge and have them recycled. But recycling TVs was never truly “free.” Most often, the costs were subsidized by the original equipment manufacturers. In Ohio, where most of the voluntary subsidy programs are going away and there isn’t legislation to mandate it, the cost is shifting back to the consumer.

But, your local recycling facilities — as well as your environmental and public health agencies — still want you to recycle those difficult devices. To encourage people to bring in their difficult to recycle electronics, Cohen partners with local organizations to host collection events every year. The largest of these is the annual PNC/Reds E-Waste Recycling Drive, which takes place each spring.

Just bring your electronics — including those CRT TVs and monitors — and a suggested donation of $10 or more to one of three drop-off points. (Typically, the charge for these devices is around $0.40-0.50 per pound, so the $10 donation can still amount to a significant discount.) In return, Cohen will take your device off your hands, make sure it’s properly and safely recycled, and send you away with two free tickets to a Cincinnati Reds game.

“We want people to bring CRT TVs and monitors in to recycle,” says Fojtik. “There are unfortunately a lot of people who are dumping them because it’s the cheapest solution. We feel confident that we’re doing it the right way, and it gives us peace of mind knowing things will be processed in a positive manner.”

Did you know? Electronic waste, including TVs, is accepted for recycling at all Cohen Recycling Centers year-round. Visit www.cohenusa.com to find the location most convenient to you.

The eWaste fee is due on the retail purchase or lease of a new or refurbished covered electronic device (CED) with a screen size of more than four inches measured diagonally and has been identified in the regulations adopted by the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). Refurbished CEDs are devices the manufacturer has tested and returned to a condition that meets factory specifications for the device and have been repackaged and labeled as refurbished.

Manufacturers are required to tell retailers which of their products have been identified as CEDs. New products may be identified by the DTSC and added to the regulations after they have been tested. Any new CEDs identified by DTSC and added to the regulations will become subject to the fee effective July 1, of the following year. For more information, contact the manufacturer or DTSC.

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).

On or before April 1st of each year, manufacturers are required to send a notice to all retailers that sell CEDs manufactured by the manufacturer on or before December 31 of the prior year. The notice shall identify the electronic devices that are CEDs subject to the eWaste fee.

In addition to the required notification letter, a manufacturer"s report is required to be filed with CalRecycle. This report is due on or before July 1st of each year.

If you are required to have a California seller"s permit or Certificate of Registration – Use Tax, you must register for an eWaste fee account and collect the fee when you sell CEDs to California customers. The CDTFA"s online registration system will guide you through the process. See our online guide, Use Tax Collection Requirements Based on Sales into CA Due to the Wayfair Decision, for more information on whether you may be required to register for sales and use tax purposes.

If you are not required to register for an eWaste fee account, you may voluntarily register to collect and pay the fee as a courtesy to your California customers. Upon collecting the fee, you must provide the customer with an invoice or similar document that lists the fee as a separate charge. A copy of the invoice or similar document should be retained by both the seller and customer.

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.

If a customer purchases a number of CEDs on one invoice, you may want to group the products and fees by fee category on your invoice. If you do this, you can list one fee total for each fee category. You can use this method or list each CED and fee amount separately.

As a retailer, you can opt to pay the fee on your customers behalf, but you must note that you have done so on the customer"s receipt. The entire fee is due with your fee return. When a retailer pays the fee and indicates that on the receipt, the customer has no liability for the fee.

A lay-away is generally a contract to sell at a future date and the eWaste fee would not apply until the full purchase price is paid and the sale is complete.

Internet sales are treated just like sales from bricks-and-mortar stores or sales by mail or phone. If you sell a CED to a California consumer and your business is in California, or you are required to hold a California seller"s permit or are registered, or should be registered, to collect California use tax, you owe the fee. If you are not required to collect the fee, your customer owes it.

If a California retailer is instructed by an out of state retailer to ship a CED directly to a California consumer, the California retailer/drop shipper is obligated to collect the fee. See the definition of retail sale for the purpose of the Sales and Use Tax Law, or for additional information on drop shipments, view Sales and Use Tax Regulation 1706

A consumer who buys a CED in a retail sale or a transaction subject to use tax owes the fee. The retailer is required to collect the fee and remit it to the CDTFA.

Retailers are required to collect the fee on retail purchases or leases by the Federal government. Transactions with the Federal Government are not exempt from the eWaste fee unless otherwise exempt.

Under specific conditions, a retailer who leases CEDs to consumers may choose to pay the eWaste fee to the vendor of those CEDs instead of collecting the fee from the consumers/lessees. A vendor is defined as the person making a sale of a covered electronic device (CED) for purposes of resale to a retailer who is the lessor of the CED to a consumer under a lease that is a continuing sale or purchase.

The retailer provides an express statement on the invoice, contract, or other record given to the lessee/consumer to document the lease/rental, that the fee has been paid on behalf of the lessee/consumer.

Part of a motor vehicle, as defined in Vehicle Code section 415, or a component part of a motor vehicle assembled by or for a vehicle manufacturer or franchised dealer. This includes replacement parts for use in a motor vehicle.

Contained within a clothes washer, clothes dryer, refrigerator, refrigerator and freezer, microwave oven, conventional oven or range, dishwasher, room air conditioner, dehumidifier, or air purifier.

You must maintain records to document any sale not subject to the fee.   View our webpage, publication 103 Sales for Resale, for information on sales for resale. View our webpage, publication 101 Sales Delivered Outside California, for information on sales of products shipped directly to locations outside California.

Be sure to file your claim for refund by the applicable deadline. If you don"t file on time, CDTFA cannot consider your claim, even if you overpaid the eWaste fee. If you have questions about your deadline to file a refund claim, contact our Customer Service Center at 1-800-400-7115 (CRS:711), Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Pacific time), except state holidays.

If a customer returned a CED for which you collected the eWaste fee, you would return the fee to the customer. Please refer to Sales and Use Tax Regulation 1655, Returns, Defects and Replacements. The regulation describes the requirements for retailers to handle such transactions. We suggest you handle returns, defects and replacement transactions for this program in the same way.

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.

If you have overpaid the eWaste fee directly to the CDTFA, you can file a claim for refund online by logging in to our online service system using your User ID and Password. Go to your eWaste fee account, and then select More under the I want to… section.

You may also file a claim by using form CDTFA-101, Claim for Refund or Credit or by filing an amended return(s) stating the specific reason(s) for the overpayment. Claims for refund should specify the period for which you are making the claim and the amount of the refund. Additional refund details are on the CDTFA"s refund page. You may mail your claims to:

Records must be retained for at least four years from the time the eWaste fee is due unless the CDTFA authorizes you in writing to destroy them sooner.

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.

In 2004 the state of California passed a law which requires retailers to collect an advanced recovery fee when a consumer purchases a new televisions or monitors. The fee is deposited in a fund managed by the state of California, which was created to finance recycling of unwanted electronics.

Most manufacturers will take back their products for free at the end-of-life.Apple:Apple offers free recycling of old computers, displays, and peripherals — cables, mice, keyboards, speakers, printers, scanners, media, hard drives, etc. — when you purchase a new Mac or monitor.

Dell: Recycle your old Dell products for free. If you buy a new Dell desktop or notebook and select the free recycling option at the time of purchase, they will recycle your old PC and monitor at no cost to you (even if it isn"t a Dell-branded product).

Sony: Sony Electronics, in partnership with Waste Management Inc. offers the “Sony Take Back” program for post-consumer Sony electronics, a free program that accepts anything from cameras to televisions. Recycle up to five Sony products per day by dropping them off at designated Waste Management eCycling Drop-Off Centers throughout the country or mailing them in.

Toshiba: Toshiba offers free recycling of all Toshiba notebooks, gigabeat® MP3 players and packaging as well as low-cost recycling options for other manufacturer laptops and consumer electronics products.

MP3 playersApple: Apple’s free recycling program will take back your iPod or any cell phone regardless of manufacturer or model. You can bring your old iPod to an Apple Retail Store for 10 percent off a new one.

Sony: As part of Sony"s GreenFill program, consumers can drop off cameras, phones, portable music and gaming devices, digital photo frames, electronic assessories, GPS navigation, recorders and microphones, alarm clocks and small audio, and rechargeable batteries. Find the nearest Sony Greenfill location to you.

Samsung-branded consumer electronics will be accepted at these locations for no fee. Non-SAMSUNG-branded consumer electronics will be accepted for a nominal fee paid directly to Samsung"s contracted recycling partners upon delivery of the e-waste. Contact the location for appropriate fees. Click here for locations.

Toner and Inkjet CartridgesCartridges for Kidsis a recycling program that pays schools and non-profit organizations CA$H for: cell phones, laser & inkjet cartridges, laptops, iPods,

Dell: Recycle your old Dell products for free. If you buy a new Dell desktop or notebook and select the free recycling option at the time of purchase, they will recycle your old PC and monitor at no cost to you (even if it isn"t a Dell-branded product).

Retail Drop Off Locations:trade-in select gently used electronics, including iPods, digital cameras and digital camcorders, for a Best Buy gift card by using the online estimator. Best Buy will also remove an old obsolete television or appliances at no charge from a consumers" home when a new product is purchased and is being delivered to the home by Best Buy Home Delivery or installed by Geek Squad. (Note: Delivery is free only for appliances over $500).

Staples:Staples" recycling program covers everything from desktops, laptops and printers to peripherals like keyboards, mice and speakers, no matter the brand or where the equipment was purchased. You can take equipment to a Staples customer-service desk, and it"s sent to a recycler that disassembles the equipment into its component parts. They also offer $3 in Staples Rewards toward a future purchase of ink or toner when HP, Lexmark™ or Dell cartridges are returned to their retail stores for recycling.

Office Max: For every qualified ink cartridge and cell phone with battery returned to OfficeMax, customers earn a $3 reward in their MaxPerks account.

Sam"s Club: Sam’s Club has a Trade in and Recycle program launched in April 2008 for MP3, Printers, Monitors, digital camera, laptops, camcorders, desktop, and Game systems but not cellphones! Available only to Sam’s Club members. Has a “no export and no landfill” guarantee.

Apple:free recycling of any iPod or cellphone through prepaid mail ins. Apple also offers free recycling of old computers, displays, and peripherals — cables, mice, keyboards, speakers, printers, scanners, media, hard drives, etc. — when you purchase a new Mac or monitor.

Office Depot: Offers free recycling for cellphones, rechargeable batteries and ink & toner cartridges. Also offers three different sizes of boxes that you can load up with acceptable gadgets and drop off at any Office Depot store. They charge $5, $10 and $15 for its (small, medium, big) recycling boxes.

Best Buy’s announcement this week that it will start charging for some of its electronics recycling may be a harbinger of the return of fee-based electronics recycling, due to lowered demand for components, the trend toward lighter products and a glut of the old heavy screens now cluttering basements across the country.

In a statement Monday, the retail giant said it has to start charging consumers $25 for each TV and computer monitor brought to their stores for recycling. The company has already operated the largest e-waste recovery program in the country, but Laura Bishop, vice president of public affairs and sustainability, said in a statement that the firm hasn’t been able to reach its goal of at least breaking even.

“The new fees will help cover the increasing cost of managing TV and monitor disposal through our network of stores, distribution centers and recycling partners,” Bishop said. “E-waste volume is rising, commodity prices are falling and global outlets for recycled glass, a key component of TVs and monitors, have dramatically declined. More and more cities and counties have cut their recycling programs for budget reasons, limiting consumer options even further. While providing recycling solutions for our customers is a priority, Best Buy should not be the sole e-cycling provider in any given area, nor should we assume the entire cost.”

Because two states—Illinois and Pennsylvania—have laws prohibiting fees for recycling, Bishop said her firm will no longer be able to collect TVs and monitors in those states. Best Buy will continue to recycle all other items at its stores for free. Bishop did not return a request for further comment.

The two-state ban could put pressure on legislators in Illinois and Pennsylvania, as public entities have had to close their electronic waste collection programs in the past year, leaving Best Buy among the only remaining option for e-waste removal. The communities say they can’t afford to continue their programs, and their neighbors then close because they’re overwhelmed by too much overflow. A number of municipalities in Kane County, Illinois have closed their collection sites in a falling-domino fashion as large electronics piled up beyond return system capacity. Similar closures are happening throughout Pennsylvania as well, such as in York County, which suspended its program in December.

The fee model may have to return nationwide for electronics recycling to stay viable, says Jason Linnell, co-founder and executive director of the National Center for Electronics Recycling. He attributes the problem to a large drop in demand for metals and glass—both components that make up the old cathode ray tube monitors and televisions—as well as the related, outdated model of basing manufacturer-subsidized returns on total weight. Returns of CRTs, which can run to up to 200 pounds each, allow manufacturers to meet total annual recycling weight requirements too quickly—leaving no incentive to continue taking in product when they meet their quota. With many of the private electronic waste recycling groups struggling to break even, the publicly funded pick-up points are getting overwhelmed while also incurring larger costs because they’ve got nowhere to take the product.

“There were a number of new companies that formed when commodities such as gold got hot, but since they’ve dropped back down, those firms have failed,” Linnell says. “But also, CRT returns have increased as the new, lighter screens and computer monitors get cheaper. This problem isn’t going away anytime soon, as we estimate there’s about six billion pounds of CRTs still left in people’s homes.”

Since many states outlaw electronic waste collection in landfills because of hazardous materials, including lead, in the CRTs, it’s feared that for-fee recycling could result in illegal roadside dumping. Hoarding also becomes a perpetuating problem, Linnell says, as the longer a product is obsolete, the less demand there is to recycle it.

“We have to figure out a national way to manage this problem appropriately,” he says. “If people were getting it free before, you have to be careful not to start off with a high fee or they will just decide it’s easier to dump it illegally. We might now see more fees charged, but they might go for maybe $5 to $10, something that’s affordable for most people. At the same time, we might need to revisit the current weight reimbursement systems, as well as encouraging other retailers to start recycling programs at Best Buy’s level.”

Americans are spending more money than ever on electronics, and businesses and organizations are no exception. In fact, on average, businesses can spend upwards of 7 percent of their budgets on electronics.

Until recently, electronics recyclers could export plastic scrap to China and other countries to be recycled and made into other products. However, China—and shortly following, Thailand and Vietnam—have banned imports of plastic scrap over the past few years. That means recyclers don’t have an outlet for semi-processed plastics and now run into charges themselves down the recycling pipeline. To keep the service up and running, recyclers can no longer accept electronics for free.

Some plastics used to be valuable, simple to separate, and easy to sell for recyclers. But, that value is now dropping—plastics used in consumer electronics often have chemicals such as fire retardants that make them difficult or even impossible to reuse and recycle. Electronics are also composed of several types of plastics, making them difficult to separate. These plastics are also some of the least valuable materials in the items.

Printers, for example, can have upwards of four different plastics, which makes it difficult for recyclers to separate them. Black plastics—one of the most commonly used plastics in electronics—can be particularly hard to recycle, as the color can prevent detection of the various types of plastics in the object.

In response to changes in plastics and their value, some recyclers have moved to incinerating, illegally exporting, or landfilling these items, which has a negative impact on the environment. Responsible recyclers will spend extra time and resources to ensure toxic chemicals don’t make it into the environment and that plastics don’t end up in a landfill during the recycling process. Since there’s little or no value recyclers can get from these items, recyclers are limited to charging fees to offset the cost of the process.

Additionally, the value of plastic and other materials, such as lithium-ion (found in batteries), plastic fans, and CD Roms, is continuously in flux. While the value of some materials remains relatively stable, the unpredictability of the metals market also affects charges to e-recycling customers.

In addition to fire retardants and other toxic chemicals added to today’s electronics, our electronics are also becoming smaller and include fewer precious metals than technology produced in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Earlier computers, for example, were bulkier and had larger boards inside of them containing higher amounts of precious metals than today’s computers. Recyclers were thus able to pay for these computers and found most of their margin by dismantling them and processing the precious metals. Now, though, our technology is getting smaller and more efficient, with fewer materials used. Computers don’t need as many precious metals to conduct electricity or function efficiently, which means there’s less margin for the retailer to make.

Today’s electronics also contain more sheet metal than ever before—by weight, 60-70 percent of computers, for example, is sheet metal, which many recyclers must treat as waste. Unless the recycler is part of a larger company with a metal scrap division, they may have to charge more to offset their margin.

Recycling is a well-established industry, with many recyclers having been in business for multiple decades. With advances in the composition of today’s electronics, e-recycling requires new equipment, and that equipment can get expensive. Electronics recyclers have no way to add or replace equipment without charging fees for recycling materials, and without proper equipment, they can’t recycle electronics responsibly.

The highest cost of recycling, however, is the labor—while some e-recycling can be mechanized, workers are still required to run the machines, remove items from the machines, inventory materials and document the process, and otherwise run the show. There’s also the health and safety of employees to consider, which means protecting them from exposure to toxic chemicals and other potential hazards. All of these factors contribute to the expenses facing today’s electronics recyclers.

Responsible electronics recyclers have proven processes for secure data destruction and follow EPA, R2, NAID, and NIST standards for disposing of electronics. But, obtaining and maintaining these certifications isn’t free for e-recyclers—they have to pay to become certified initially, and are also required to run monthly audits. They need staff such as environmental and quality departments to ensure all standards are met for continued certification.

The cost of data destruction is also steep for electronics recyclers. Some companies, such as Sadoff E-Recycling & Data Destruction, assume liability for your data. Once you turn it over to us, we are completely liable for your data, and we need insurance to take on liability. Since we understand the risks associated with handing over your electronics, we provide certificates of destruction. Put simply, it costs to recycle electronics the right way.

While we may think e-recycling should be free due to sustainability benefits and environmental stewardship, e-recycling is still a business. Much like trash removal, e-recycling is a service that requires fees for disposing of items.

There are some fixed costs that e-recyclers cannot control, such as freight and cost of transport. But, the right e-recycling partner can provide consultation on how to mitigate other costs, and they can provide other value, such as secure data destruction.

Sadoff E-Recycling & Data Destruction helps businesses identify items of value and can recycle scrap metal, as well. One partner who consulted with Sadoff E-Recycling & Data Destruction ended up reducing their $100,000 yearly recycling costs by at least 50 percent and expects additional savings in the coming years. We also provide IT Asset Remarketing or IT Asset Disposition, a service that refurbishes and sells your electronics, passing additional profit back to you or your business.

Want more information on how you can save on electronics recycling costs? Contact Sadoff E-Recycling & Data Destruction to learn more about our processes and how you can benefit from making us your trusted e-recycling partner.

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.

The first thing that"s important to understand is how big of a problem electronics are. With people replacing phones every year and computers every few years, it shouldn"t come as a surprise that there are mountains of discarded electronics every year.

When e-waste like monitors isn"t properly handled at the end of its life, then exposure to the natural elements alone can cause many of the toxic materials to break down and evaporate into the air.

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.

When monitors and other computer electronics are illegally dumped, or they end up at a landfill, then all those metals like lead, mercury, and cadmium can ultimately release due to heat, cold, and moisture exposure.

But heavy metals like mercury, lithium, and lead don"t just seep into the soil and stop there. Over time, gravity and water wash these metals further and further down until they hit the water table.

These are not problems that arise suddenly, and contamination often happens over many years with a gradual accumulation of the toxins. Once there are symptoms, a lot of the damage has often been done, and people can be left with permanent health problems.

OK, now that you know that those old monitors in the garage or basement could be a health hazard and that the right thing to do is to recycle computer monitors, it"s time to go through this simple process.

If there are loose cables still attached, or the monitor is still attached to a computer, then make sure you remove all the cables first. You can recycle these as well, but it"s best to keep them separate.

You need to make sure that you"ll safely carry and transport the monitor. E-waste can easily break, and it might have already deteriorated a bit if it"s been in storage for a long time.

Now is also a good time to check for any other electronic devices like printers, scanners, and DVD players that are just taking up space and never used.

Make sure that your old computer monitors are safely placed in your trunk so that they avoid falling or rolling around. Those external plastics won"t stand up to much force, and you can quickly damage internal components that contain the heavy metals.

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.

Separating these materials requires specialized equipment that breaks them down into a pile of metals and plastic. The metals can then be further separated and recycled as raw materials for the electronics industry.

This is becoming an increasingly important part of protecting the environment. Unfortunately, all electronics from your phone to your computer monitor contain many types of metals that often come from mines in third-world countries.

These mines often operate under devastating conditions for both the environment and the people that work in them. Making sure that the majority of those metals can be recycled from devices reduces the demand for such mining operations.

While some materials in these devices can enter the cycle economy, there are others like lead glass that can"t be reused. These need to be separated and then disposed of at specialist sites using containers that make sure they are sealed indefinitely or until there"s a solution for dealing with it better.

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.

While they might not take care of the overall breakdown of the materials, many of them do offer to take back old computer monitors, printers, hard drives, phones, and laptops for free or a nominal fee.

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.

Dellhas created a unique approach in that they offer a drop-off and mail-in service where they accept any brand of products. Whether it"s a Dell computer or old Canon printers, if you can attach it to a computer, they will accept it.

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.

Now, it used to be the case that you could recycle a monitor if you bought it at the store and had the receipt or if you were buying a new monitor. But it seems like that wasn"t enough of an incentive, and many stores now allow you to drop off several devices per day even if you didn"t buy them there.

Stapleshave a drop-off point in their stores where you can bring pretty much any old computer equipment for free. This is mainly for consumer products and other electronic devices, but it does exclude large kitchen and household appliances.

Best Buy also has a drop-off program, and this is an ideal option if you have a broken monitor and need to head to Best Buy for a new one. Simply hand over the old one as you head into the store, and you"ve saved yourself a trip.

Walmart is rolling out a new concept called the ecoATM. This will allow you to bring old electronics to a designated ATM and then turn it into cash, depending on the age and state. It"s a great way to see if you have some hidden cash sitting in your basement or garage.

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

This should be your first option if you have computer monitors that are relatively modern and still in working order. Many charities and Goodwill stores will happily accept electronics that could help out people with little financial means.

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.

Simply contact a local charity store or Goodwill and provide them with details about your device"s age and specifications, and they"ll quickly let you know whether they"ll accept it.

Not only will you do the right thing for the environment, but you"ll also help someone out to enjoy technology they otherwise might not be able to afford.

If you"re in the San Francisco Bay Area and have some old monitors from personal home use, then GreenCitizen offers a free drop-off service . And the process couldn"t be any easier.

You just need to fill out a form with the details of the monitor and computers before you pack them up. Then call to the drop-off point at the GreenCitizen Burlingame EcoCenter and wait for a member of the team to meet you.

Not only will GreenCitizen ensure that everything is safely recycled, but they can also provide certification of safe data destruction for any storage devices.

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.

Yes, old CRT monitors can be recycled. In most cases, it"s not possible to reuse them with modern computers, but they contain toxic metals that should end up in the trash or landfill.

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.

Yes, a monitor can store data. This is typically more common with smart TVs, but some monitors also have similar functions that could store login details for streaming services. It"s important that you use a data destruction service for such devices.

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.

You"d be surprised how many homes still have an ancient CRT monitor somewhere in the basement, and getting rid of such equipment is important to avoid any of the harmful chemicals being released.

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.

If you’re looking to recycle a cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, which have been mostly phased out of the sales market at this point, it contains four to eight pounds of lead. If you have a liquid-crystal display (LCD) screen, it’s likely being backlit by small fluorescent bulbs containing mercury. Both are toxic metals that you want to keep inside the monitor.

This means it’s extra important to keep these monitors out of landfills but also treat them with care when recycling. Here are a few steps to take when preparing your monitor for recycling:

Unplug the DVI, HDMI or VGA cable from your monitor (as well as the CPU) to lighten the load and prevent tripping (for VGA, you’ll need to unscrew the ends). If the power cord can be removed, unplug that as well.

Place a towel or blanket down in the car and put the monitor face down on top. This will ensure that nothing breaks if you hit any potholes on the drive.

It’s highly unlikely that your curbside recycling program accepts computer monitors, even if it collects “scrap metal.” These screens are bulky and made up of multiple materials, so you’ll definitely want to check before putting them in the recycling bin. If your area offers bulky waste recycling, computer monitors may be accepted, but it’s a good idea to verify that they’ll be responsibly recycled.

The two most common electronics recycling certifications for North American recyclers are the Basel Action Network’s (BAN)e-Stewardsand Sustainable Electronics Recycling International’s (SERI)R2 Standard.

BAN has been certifying recyclers since 2006 to ensure that no electronics are exported overseas. R2 (originally R2 Solutions) has been around since 2008, and focuses more on certifying the recycling process and data destruction.

There are computer monitor recyclers that aren’t e-Stewards or R2 certified, but if you’re wanting to recycle with one of these certified companies, find a directory of them ate-stewards.organdsustainableelectronics.org.

Yes.Staples has been recycling computer monitorssince 2007, andBest Buy followed suitin 2008. Both stores accept both CRT and LCD screens, as well as other computer parts. Best Buy charges a fee to recycle monitors unless you happen to live in California.

As of 2017,25 (or half) of U.S. states require youto recycle some forms of electronics. Of those, 17 havebanned them from landfills. The good news is that every time a new law is passed, recycling becomes that much easier for residents in that state. You’ll likely find your city or county offers computer recycling events at least once a year (usually around Earth Day on April 22).

No, especially if you are trying to recycle a CRT monitor. The costs of breaking down these screens while responsibly removing the lead and/or mercury limits their acceptance by electronics recyclers, and many will specifically exclude monitors from their materials list.

If you can’t separate your screen from the computer processor, you should treat the entire system as a monitor for recycling. You’ll want to unplug all the components (keyboard, mouse, etc.) and find a recycler that accepts CRT monitors. This company would also accept the attached CPU.

When you have one monitor to recycle, a retailer may be most ideal. But if you have numerous screens, you should ask your office if it canplan a recycling drive. You can call an e-waste recycler to send a truck, promote the event to your neighboring businesses, and recycle all sorts of electronics at once. In many cases, the recycler will pick up your electronics at no charge if enough people participate.

Most computer monitor manufacturers are now offering take-back recycling, either by partnering with retailers like Best Buy, Goodwill or Staples, or through a mail-in program (usually only for LCD screens). You’ll want to search your manufacturer’s website for details on its specific program. None of the retailers mentioned above exclude certain brands of monitors, though.

If you have a broken TV or monitor taking up space in your garage, you’re not alone. Many of us, for one reason or another, find ourselves burdened with these devices when they meet their end. You can’t sell them, and you can’t put them in the trash—you’ve read about the e-waste problem and don’t want to contribute to it. So, what do you do?

Hopefully, you decide to take it to an electronics recycling facility, where they can extract the raw materials and repurpose them. However, when you come to a place like EPC, you might be shocked to find that dropping off your TV or monitor comes with a price tag. Why? Most drop-off items free, so why this cost money? Doesn’t the recycling company make money from recycling? Shouldn’t theypay you?

Unfortunately, recycling electronic equipment isn’t that simple. While someone might be able to make a quick buck collecting old soda cans, processing e-scrap requires far more work, with little profit for the company.

When your CRT or LCD screen is processed, it must be manually de-manufactured to remove universal waste—toxic substances such as lead and mercury which must be processed separately. One 17” CRT monitor can contain around six pounds of lead. While these substances aren’t a danger to you or your family when the device is in use, improper disposal can lead to harmful chemicals leeching into the environment. Manual labor, running and maintaining recycling machinery, and outsourcing the de-manufacturing of certain devices such as LCDs and printers are costs that add up.

You may still be wondering why it’s worth it to pay for proper disposal. After all, aren’t there other recycling companies that still take these items for free?

It’s true, some electronics recycling facilities claim to offer “no-cost” services and will take your devices free of charge. However, these companies don’t always handle end-of-life assets properly. Recently, dozens of defendants were named in a lawsuit against recycling companies that contributed to a massive CRT glass stockpile in Columbus, OH. Cleanup costs have been estimated at $18.2 million dollars, and forty-one electronics recyclers may be held financially responsible.

Our recycling prices ensure that each item is processed correctly without putting ourselves, our customers, or the environment at risk. Don’t worry, most of the items we accept are still free to drop off. Here is a complete list of what we accept free of charge:

We hope this clears up questions you may have about our recycling practices, and that you continue to make the effort to recycle responsibly. If you have any questions, or you need to recycle in bulk, please call (636)443-1999 for more information.

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.

For every million cell phones we recycle, 35 thousand pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered.

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.

Manufacturers and retailers offer several options to donate or recycle electronics. You can search for options on the following organizations" websites:

Each Rewards Member is eligible to receive $5 back in rewards via Store Bonus for recycling or shredding performed at Staples® U.S. stores only. Eligible items to be recycled include adapters and cables, computers, tablets, monitors, keyboards and mice, printers, scanners, fax machines, mobile phones, digital cameras, ink and toner cartridges, rechargeable batteries, shredding and SodaStream® CO2 cylinders. No minimum purchase required. $5 recycling reward limited to once per customer per calendar month. Member may recycle multiple times however Store Bonus will only be issued for the first qualifying visit per calendar month. For in-store recycling, the Member must be physically present at the store when items are accepted by an associate to be recycled, and their Membership account must be identified. All stores are eligible for recycling and shredding and all Members are eligible to earn rewards for recycling and shredding. Store Bonus checks are issued monthly via the Staples Connect™ mobile app or on staples.com/rewards. Store Bonus may be redeemed at any Staples U.S. store by the expiration date printed on your Store Bonus. Store Bonus is not redeemable for cash. Staples is not liable for unclaimed or expired Store Bonus. Store Bonus cannot be redeemed for or applied against cash, taxes, credit remittance, shipping charges, custom printing orders placed online, promotional products, any purchases made on staples.com®, design.staples.com, documents.staples.com, design.staples.com/promotional-products, gift cards, prepaid phone cards, postage stamps, prior purchases, purchases made on staplesmobile.com or purchases on third-party websites.

In an effort to reduce waste going to landfills, Staples has created the Staples Recycling Program which offers Customers the option of bringing in select items to Staples U.S. stores, where it"s EASY and REWARDING to recycle. These Terms are an agreement between you ("Customer" or "you") and Staples ("Staples"), and they govern your use of and participation in the Staples Recycling Program.

This Program is available to all Staples customers that bring in Select Recyclable Items. Customers who are 18 years of age or older with a valid U.S. mailing address and a valid email address may enroll in the Staples Rewards® Program to receive recycling rewards for certain Select Recyclable Items that they recycle with Staples. The Program applies to Staples U.S. stores only.

The items that may be recycled at a Staples U.S. store ("Select Recyclable Items") include print cartridges, a variety of electronics, SodaStream® CO2 containers, select rechargeable batteries, select kitchen appliances and paper. The list may change from time to time, and the complete list of Select Recyclable Items at any given time will be available on the Staples website at: https://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/sustainability-center/recycling-services/. Some locations may offer additional recycling services. Items that are determined by Staples, in its sole discretion, to pose a health or safety risk will not be accepted. Staples does not accept products that are subject to a Consumer Product Safety Commission recall.

The Select Recyclable Items may be recycled free of any charge to the Customer. Customer may recycle up to seven (7) items per day. Certain Select Recyclable Items are or may become eligible for Staples Rewards. For more information on and terms related to Staples Rewards, please visit https://www.staples.com/grs/rewards/programoverview.

Select Recyclable Items include a variety of electronic devices. Customers that recycle eligible electronic devices at Staples relinquish all ownership rights in the devices when they give them to Staples to be recycled. Additionally, Staples is not responsible for any data left on devices turned in for recycling. The Customer is solely responsible for removing data from their devices, and the Customer acknowledges that submission of a device for recycling is at the Customer"s sole risk. Customer further represents that Customer either: (1) is the sole owner of the electronic device and of any data that was on the electronic device before Customer deleted all such data prior to recycling; or (2) has permission to proceed with recycling from all other owners of the electronic device or of any data that was on the electronic device before Customer deleted all such data prior to recycling.

Some Staples stores offer self-service recycling kiosks which permit Customers to complete their recycling without the assistance of an associate. Customers are responsible for following the steps to ensure that any coupons or Staples Rewards that would be awarded are attributed to them or to their Staples Rewards account. Customers assume the risks when it comes to participating in the self-serve process in those stores.

In order to comply with the conditions of The State of California"s Electronic Waste Recycling Payment program, Customers in California will be asked to provide additional information to allow Staples to submit the information required for the recycling payment. The provision of this information is optional, and Customer"s refusal to provide such information will not preclude them from participating in this Program or in the Staples Rewards Program.

For information on how we protect your personal information, see Staples" U.S. Privacy Policy on staples.com. Staples is not liable for unclaimed, expired, lost or misdirected statements or other communications from Staples to the Customer or the Customer to Staples.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. Any Customer"s legal action against Staples relating to the Program may only be filed in the state and federal courts of Suffolk County, Massachusetts. If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable to any extent, then the invalid portion shall be deemed conformed to the minimum requirements of law to the extent possible. In addition, all other provisions of these Terms shall not be affected and shall continue to be valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.

The Program is void where prohibited by law. Staples reserves the right to modify, revise or cancel this Program, the Terms or any part of the Program at any time for all participants or for any specific participant without prior notice. Staples" decision on whether a particular item can be accepted for recycling or is eligible for Staples Rewards shall be final.

The environmental impact benefit calculations in the Staples Connect app related to recycling programs are estimates provided for informational purposes only. Greenhouse gas equivalencies were determined by applying EPA"s Waste Reduction Model (WARM) factors and factors from EPA"s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator to average weights by item type. Actual impact benefits will vary based on a variety of factors.

If you do not live in Madison, or if the electronic item was used exclusively for a business, consult your local government or find a registered private electronic recycler in your area.

Use the work order system to purchase a $15 recycling sticker that will be mailed to you after the successful purchase. You must have the sticker on the television before it will be accepted.

Exemptions: Large console TVs and large projection screen TVs are different. Contact the Streets Division office if you have one of these television types to discuss your options.

If you place a televisionat the curb that is not one of the exemptions noted above, it will be subject to removal by city staff. If a non-exempt television is collected by city staff, property owners will be assessed the recycling fee plus a $30 administrative fee per television collected. Broken televisions will be immediately removed as they pose a safety hazard. The property owner will be assessed the recycling fee plus the administrative fee for each broken television collected.

Computer monitors (all kinds), laptops, and computer towers/central processing units all require a $10 fee to be paid prior to dropping off these items.

Use the work order system to purchase a $10 recycling sticker that will be mailed to you after the successful purchase. You must have the sticker on the computer (etc.) before it will be accepted.

If you place a monitor, computer, or laptopat the curb it will be subject to removal by city staff. If one of these items is removed, the property owners will be assessed the recycling fee plus a $30 administrative fee per unit. Broken units found at the curb are subject to immediate removal as they pose a safety hazard. The property owner will be assessed the recycling fee plus an administrative fee for each broken unit removed.

Televisions, computers, computer monitors, laptops, and computer towers/CPUs require an additional fee to be paid using the work order system prior to dropping them at the site.

All material collected in our program is dismantled here in Wisconsin. The company currently contracted with the Streets Division to recycle electronics collected at the drop-off sites is Universal Recycling Technologies.

When your equipment leaves your facility, are you confident that your data is safe? If any asset tags were left on the machines, are you convinced that your computer recycler will remove them? Are you aware of what happens to your equipment once it leaves your facility? Are you being paid for your late model computer & office equipment, or are you just being charged for services?

With PCLiquidations our first priority is to make sure your data is safe. Depending on the recycling contract, this may be physical destruction of hard drives & media or logical drive wipes. We then work to try to remarket and repurpose the computers & electronics you send us. Reuse is an important component of keeping electronics out of our landfills. Extending the product life allows it to be placed back into the market and keeps it from having to be recycled while it still has usefulness. As a Microsoft Registered Refurbisher, we put new legitimate Windows licenses on computers that are being remarketed. We don"t try to reuse your license that is registered to you or your company.

Once the equipment has reached its end of life and has to be recycled, PCLiquidations responsibly recycles all electronics. We process the scrap while adhering to state laws and EPA regulations. We also only work with R2 vendors for our downstream process. We take the risk and headache out of computer recycling.

With our Chicagoland pickup service, we’ll work with you to schedule a time to come to your location to collect and package your electronics. Then we’ll load them up and take them back to our secure facility to be properly recycled. At our recycling facility they’re broken down, sorted, wiped of any data, and sent to approved domestic vendors where the reprocessed raw products are reused in manufacturing.

Many electronics stores offer recycling either for free (typically with the purchase of a new item) or for a fee. Learn which items are accepted at the Best Buy Aurora location and associated fees. Residents may also take advantage of additional county-sponsored events and services.

Waste Management has more than 50 years of experience in handling materials the right way, and we can do the same for obsolete electronics. We’ll not only wipe the data clean, we’ll also identify parts that can be remarketed or recycled to save you and your business money.

Is your item badly damaged? Some locations may reject items (like old TVs with broken cathode ray tubes) that are a health and safety hazard. Call ahead to ask.

Computer peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and printers are not included in the E-Cycle WA program. Call 1-800-RECYCLE or search the database for items not covered in the program.

Ames residents are not currently regulated for the disposal of e-waste; however, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires businesses to treat computer monitors (CRTs) and TVs as hazardous waste.

If you"re a resident and want to get rid of your own home computers or TVs, take them to Goodwill, Mid-Iowa Computers or Best Buy, or you can still throw them away. You will need to call your garbage hauler to find out if there"s an additional charge to pick these up for you at your residence with the rest of your trash. You can also bring them to the Resource Recovery Plant; we don"t charge per item, we char