When you think of any given landfill, what comes to mind? Garbage, old furniture, mostly junk, right? If you weren’t considering electronic waste, you may be part of the 85% of Americans that are unaware of e-waste and its effect on the environment.
E-waste is considered electronic products nearing the end of their “useful life” (CalRecycle), including everything from an old broken microwave thrown away to the unused phones collecting dust in your drawer at home. This waste accounts for 70% of landfills’ toxic waste and is a serious problem for our environment.
We conducted a survey on e-waste and just how much the average American knows about device recycling.
We found that only 25% of Americans claim to recycle electronic devices, whether it be properly recycling or reselling them. This is compared to the even smaller 10% of Americans who choose to purchase pre-owned devices.
Limiting the e-waste that winds up in our natural environment can be done through a multitude of actions, with the simplest being recycling your old devices instead of letting them sit or throwing them out. One can also choose to give a used device a chance at second-life rather than buying new.
Gazelle invites you to join the fight against e-waste by considering to sell or buy your devices second-hand. You can grab an instant online quote for your iPhone, iPad, MacBook, Samsung phone and get paid even more for your used devices. You can also browse a huge selection of certified pre-owned devices on our site, including devices of different conditions, sizes, brands, and prices that best fit your budget. Looking for regular upgrades, new devices, and flexible payments? Our Gazelle Flex rental program gives you the best of both worlds.
Sources: Cal Recycle
https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/electronics/whatisewaste