Benefits of Recycling
Colorado State Law requires non residential entities to treat consumer electronics as hazardous waste and record its disposition.
End-of-life electronics is a fast-growing waste stream. Over 20 million personal computers became obsolete in 1998. Only 13 percent were reused or recycled. Many municipalities are facing the dilemma of what to do with growing amounts of retired electronics.
Consumer Electronics can contain hazardous materials. There are hazardous materials, such as lead, mercury, and hexavalent chromium in circuit boards, batteries, and color cathode ray tubes (CRTs).
Televisions and CRT monitors contain four pounds of lead, on average (the exact amount depends on size and make).
Keep these materials out of our landfills. Mercury from electronics has been cited as a leading source of mercury in municipal waste. In addition, brominated flame retardants are commonly added to plastics used in electronics. If improperly handled, these toxics can be released into the environment through incinerator ash or landfill leachate.
Reusing and recycling the raw materials from end-of-life electronics conserves natural resources and avoids air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by manufacturing new products.
