E-Waste

By Kimberly Martinez

The United States is one of the world’s largest producers of electronic waste. In 2019, Americans discarded about 6.92 millions tons of e-waste (roughly 46 pounds per person), but only 15% of which was recycled. E-waste generation has continued to climb - by 2021 the U.S. e-waste output reached an estimated 10 million metric tons (70 pounds per capita). Despite this growing volume, recycling rate remains low (around 15% in 2021), meaning the vast majority of used electronics are not properly recycled. This gap represents lost opportunity to recover valuable material (like gold, copper, and plastics) and to prevent environmental harm. Globally, e-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream, with 53.6 million tons generated worldwide in 2019 - but only 17.4% was recycled that year, illustrating that the U.S. challenges are part of a broader international problem.

Company E-Waste Take-Back Programs

Many U.S. companies have increased initiative around ‘take back’ and recycling programs s to manage e-waste from their products:

• Apple operates a robust Trade-in and Recycling program. Customers can trade in old devices for credit towards new purchases, and if a device has no resale value, Apple will recycle it for free. Apple has invested in advanced recycling technologies - for instance, its disassembly robots can effectively recover materials from iPhones. The company also emphasizes reuse: in 2021, Apple refurbished or resold 12.2 million devices and accessories to new owners, extending their life instead of scrapping them. Apple’s recycling efforts enable recovery of metals and rare earth elements for use in new products, and nearly 20% of the material in its products is now recycled content. These initiatives are part of Apple’s broader sustainability goal to eventually make products using only recycled or renewable materials.

• Dell Technologies has long-running programs to take back old electronics. Since 2004, the Dell Reconnect partnership with Goodwill has provided free recycling drop-off for any brand of used computer equipment at over 2,000 Goodwill locations across the country. This makes it easy for consumers to hand off old PCs, monitors, and accessories for responsible recycling. Dell also incorporates reclaimed materials into new products - it met a goal of using 100 million pounds of recycled content in products by 2020. Looking ahead, Dell has pledged that by 2030, for every product a customer buys, the company will reuse or recycle an equivalent product (effectively one-for-one recovery). This “moonshot” goal, alongside designing products with recycling in mind, underscores Dell’s commitment to a circular economy for electronics.

• Best Buy runs one of the nation’s most accessible retail e-waste recycling programs. It has collected 2.7 billion pounds of electronics and appliances for recycling since 2009, making it the largest retail collector of e-waste in the United States. Consumers can bring a wide range of electronics (regardless of where they were purchased or who made them) to any Best Buy store for free recycling drop-off. Best Buy even offers mail-in recycling kits for those who don’t live near a store. In 2021 alone, Best Buy collected about 192 million pounds of gadgets for recycling. The company also has a trade-in program for gently used devices. Best Buy’s efforts illustrate how a convenient, year-round take-back service can divert large volumes of e-waste from landfills. Other retailers like Staples and Office Depot have similar electronics recycling drop-off programs, though Best Buy’s is the most comprehensive.

  
  

Policies and Legislation

The U.S. does not have a single comprehensive federal law specifically addressing e-waste. Unlike the EU’s unified approach, American e-waste regulation is fragmented. The EPA, along with other agencies, developed a National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship in 2011 to guide federal efforts, but it is a policy framework rather than enforceable law. As a result, there is no nationwide mandate for e-waste recycling or manufacturer take-back, and rules on disposal largely fall under general waste or hazardous waste regulations. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) classifies certain electronic components (like Cathode Ray Tube monitor glass) as hazardous, but many electronics are not federally regulated when discarded. This lack of federal oversight has led to gaps - for instance, it’s legal in many cases to export used electronics to developing countries, where they may be handled unsafely. Federal agencies have set voluntary guidelines and run programs to encourage recycling (ex. The EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Electronic Challenge), but participation by industry is optional. Overall, the federal approach relies on public-private partnerships and state action rather than binding national requirements - a notable weakness in the current system.

Options You Have as a Consumer!

There are now a lot of practical solutions available to people who want to properly dispose of their outdated gadgets. Here are a few workable solutions:

• Programs for Manufacturer Take-Backs: companies Such as Apple, Dell, HP, and Samsung provide free recycling or trade-in programs. On their websites, many offer drop-off locations or shipping labels.

• Drop-off locations for retail electronics like phones, computers, cords, and batteries are accepted at Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, Home Depot, and Lowe's. The most extensive program is offered by Best Buy, which offers free in-store recycling for the majority of merchandise.

• Certified Recyclers of E-Waste to guarantee appropriate disposal, use R2-certified recyclers or e-Stewards. The EPA's eCycle directory and Earth911.com are two resources that assist in finding local drop-off locations by ZIP code.

• If a gadget is still functional, think about donating it to Goodwill, or refurbishing initiatives like Computer with Causes. To prolong the life of outdated devices, you can also trade them in or resell them. Prior to discarding or giving, always delete personal information.

American consumers can dispose of their outdated devices in a responsible manner and with reasonable simplicity by utilizing these solutions. "E-cycling" is now easier than ever thanks to manufacturers and retailers, and local solutions can be found with the aid of charitable and governmental institutions. Being aware that gadgets shouldn't be thrown in the garbage and that there are easy ways to recycle them is crucial. Utilizing these initiatives promotes a more sustainable, circular economy for electronics, lowers pollution, and conserves important materials. By appropriately recycling our devices and maybe even encouraging friends and family to follow suit, everyone of us can help improve the state of e-waste in the US.

Citations

Apple. (2022, April 19). Apple expands the use of recycled materials across its products. Apple. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/04/apple-expands-the-use-of-recycled-materials-across-its-products/

Koch, L., Roberts, S., & Esta Ellis, J. (2021). Chapter 24 — putting purpose into practice: The economics of mutuality. Putting Purpose into Practice: The Economics of Mutuality. https://purposeintopractice.org/dell-the-business-case-for-a-sustainable-supply-chain

Pangarkar, T. (2025, January 13). E-Waste statistics and facts (2025). Market.Us Scoop. https://scoop.market.us/e-waste-statistics/

Valeriano, A. (2023, March 20). How to recycle (or trade in) your old tech. Best Buy Corporate News and Information. https://corporate.bestbuy.com/2023/how-to-recycle-or-trade-in-your-old-tech/

Wakefield, F. (2022, June 22). World recycling facts for 2022: Plastic, paper and more. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/06/recycling-global-statistics-facts-plastic-paper/