With many Wisconsin residents giving and receiving electronics as gifts this holiday season, Wired Wisconsin is reminding consumers to take advantage of the E-Cycle Wisconsin program and safely dispose of old or unwanted electronics after the holidays.
“After all of the holiday gift giving is complete, consumers often find that they have unwanted or old electronics to dispose of,” said Thad Nation, executive director of Wired Wisconsin.
“It’s important that Wisconsin consumers understand the proper methods for recycling these devices.
By taking our old electronics to an e-cycling center, we can keep our communities safe from hazardous materials, reduce waste and support local job growth.”
Recycling old electronics after the holidays has become hassle free with Wisconsin’s electronic recycling program, E-Cycle Wisconsin, which established registered collection sites throughout the state in 2010.
Consumers can drop their unwanted electronics at one of nearly 450 permanent collection sites in Wisconsin where recycled goods will be sold to recyclers and broken down for their component recyclable parts.
Since its inception, E-Cycle Wisconsin has kept more than 123 million pounds of electronics out of landfills.
Last year, registered collectors throughout the state took in 38.8 million pounds of electronics – 6.8 pounds for every resident in Wisconsin.
“Electronics have become one of the most popular gifts to give during the holidays,” said Nation. “Unwanted or obsolete electronics still do have some value to them if they are recycled properly.”
For example, a typical older desktop computer and a CRT monitor weigh approximately 60 pounds combined, most of which can be broken down and recycled.
The two components combined contain roughly: 15 pounds of glass, 14 pounds of plastic, 12 pounds of iron, 8 pounds of aluminum, 4 pounds of copper, 4 pounds of lead and 1 pound of zinc.
