RECYCLING STATISTICS
ARE YOU TO BLAME?

Well Not Anymore!

Current recycling statistics, what role have you played? Here we'll sift through real recycling statistics for end-of-life electronics that will lead you to well-suited actions for your future.

First you may ask, What percent of the municipal solid waste stream do electronics comprise?

Only 2 percent. However they attract a substantial amount of interest for the following reasons:

1. Fast growth of, and a continuing array of new product offerings.
2. Manufacturing of such products commands substantial resources of scarce commodities.
3. Electronic products contain numerous toxic materials which must be managed at end-of-life.
4. Therein lies a need for resource recovery and conservation.

Recycling statistics based on the following data in 2010:

• 438,000,000 new electronic products were sold;
• 5,000,000 short tons of electronic products were in storage;
• 2,370,000 short tons of electronic products were ready for end-of-life management; and
• 27 percent of these tons were collected for recycling.

Recycling statistics based on the following electronics in 2010:

• Personal computers and laptops
• Monitors: CRT and flat panel
• Keyboards and mice
• Hard-copy devices: printers, copiers, scanners, faxes and multi-function
• Televisions: CRT, monochrome, flat panel and projection
• Hand-held Devices: cell phones, smartphones, pagers and PDAs

Average residential use before entering storage:

• Personal computers hard-copy devices, and monitors: seven years.
• Laptop computers: six years.
• CRT TVs: 11 years.
• Mice, keyboards, flat panel TVs, projection TVs: unknown years, and are not stored at end-of-life

Average commercial use before entering storage:

• Desktop computers, laptops, hard-copy devices, and computer monitors: three to five years.

Average commercial and residential use before entering storage:

• Hand-held devices: two years.

Electronic products ready for end-of-life management in 2010:

• Computers: 51,900 units - 423,000 short tons
• Monitors: 35,800 units - 595,000 short tons
• Hard-copy devices: 33,600 units - 290,000 short tons
• Keyboards and mice: 82,200 units - 67,800 short tons
• Televisions: 28,500 units - 1,040,000 short tons
• Hand-held devices: 152,000 units - 19,500 short tons

Total: 384,000 units - 2,440,000 short tons

Electronic products collected for recycling in 2010:

• Computers: 20,600 units - 168,000 short tons
• Monitors: 11,700 units - 194,000 short tons
• Hard-copy devices: 11,200 units - 97,000 short tons
• Keyboards and mice: 7,830 units - 6,460 short tons
• Televisions: 4,940 units - 181,000 short tons
• Hand-held devices: 17,400 units - 2,240 short tons

Total: 73,700 units - 649,000 short tons

Electronic products disposed of in 2010:

• Computers: 31,300 units - 255,000 short tons
• Monitors: 24,100 units - 401,000 short tons
• Hard-copy devices: 22,400 units - 193,000 short tons
• Keyboards and mice: 74,400 units - 61,400 short tons
• Televisions: 23,600 units - 864,000 short tons
• Hand-held devices: 135,000 units - 17,200 short tons

Total: 310,000 units - 1,790,000 short tons

Percentage of total weight of all electronics products collected for recycling in 2010:

• Computers: 40%
• Monitors: 33%
• Hard-copy devices: 33%
• Keyboards and mice: 10%
• Televisions: 17%
• Hand-held devices: 11%

Total Average: 27%

Well there you have it. Now that you know America is recycling an average 27% of all personal computers, monitors, keyboards, mice, hard-copy devices, televisions and hand-held devices, as of 2010. So, we still have a ways to go, and I believe with your help we'll get there.

The following sources were used in this recycling statistics data:

• Florida Department of Environmental Protection - Florida Electronic Product Brand Distribution Project
• Environmental Protection Agency - Electronic Waste in the United States

Schedule your electronics recycling pick-up today!

All Electronics Recycling is currently picking up most everything with an electric cord in your Southern California neighborhood (commercial or residential) to reduce, reuse, recycle... responsibly.

So, I suggest filling out the form up on the right or calling us now at (800) 924-0884 to be scheduled in our pick-up routes.

P.S. Also, please ask your friends, family, and colleagues to leave you their 'e waste' so we may pick it all up on the same trip as well. We can always come back next month, although that may increase our carbon footprint, so please act now.