The electronics we use every day contain hazardous materials like lead, mercury, cadmium, flame retardants, and more. Electronics recycling helps keep those hazardous materials out of landfills and therefore out of our soil, air, and water.

It costs money to recycle electronics because they contain these metals and hazardous materials that must be dealt with using special processes. These processes are labor intensive and require expensive technology/equipment.

Some examples:

• CRT televisions and monitors contain leaded glass.
• LCD (flat screen) TVs and monitors contain mercury.
• Most electronics contain leaded circuitry.
• Smoke alarms contain radioactive materials.
• Many electronics contain hidden internal batteries that can be a fire hazard and must be handled with care and recycled through a special battery recycler.
• All electronics contain precious metals that should always be recovered and recycled so they don't end up in a landfill.

Today’s electronics contain lower amounts of precious metals than those produced two or three decades ago. Previously, electronics recyclers could harvest those metals and sell them, which helped to offset the costs of recycling. Some plastics also used to be more valuable and were easy to separate and sell. But now, with fewer options for recouping the costs of recycling, electronics recyclers are left few choices than to pass those costs on to the consumer.

This is why Credit Union of Denver is holding our first Electronic Recycling Event. We hope this helps keep e-waste and harmful materials out of the landfill. Learn more about how you can do your part to protect our local environment. If you’re interested, check out our Electronic Recycling event.