Recycling Electronic Scrap is one of the many ways we work to power a more circular economy and enhance the sustainability of our stakeholders. There are many environmental benefits of recycling E-Waste. One of the most obvious benefits is limiting the amount of material that ends up in landfill. Many electronic devices contain toxic substances, such as lead, mercury, cadmium, beryllium, polyvinyl chloride and chromium. If tossed into landfills, these toxic substances could leach into the soil and pollute the groundwater and air. In addition, improperly handled E-Waste typically impacts less-advantaged communities more often, or the electronics end up going into dumps overseas. By recycling E-Waste we can ensure they are disposed of safely and properly.
Another benefit of recycling electronics is the preservation of natural resources. Re-using the valuable raw materials of electronics takes pressure off demand for mined materials, in particular virgin precious metals. Mining precious metals can be very toxic and environmentally detrimental and re-using these valuable materials preserves our natural resources for future generations. Furthermore, using recycled materials consumes less water and energy when producing new goods. This lowers production costs by avoiding the need to manufacture goods from scratch.
Another benefit of recycling E-waste is that it is safe and properly removes data from devices. Recycling facilities have the ability to shred, destroy or otherwise remove data from your old electronics. If electronics are not responsibly recycled, it could leave your data available or susceptible to getting in the hands of the wrong people. Going through a certified recycler to properly destroy your electronics keeps the data safe and ensures that it is destroyed properly
In 2020, WTS and our customers & partners recycled nearly 1.7 MM pounds of electronic scrap, resulting in the following environmental benefits:
2,369,614 lbs of GHG Emissions Reduced
48,881 lbs of Toxic Metals Recovered
47,460 lbs of lead
0.17 lbs of mercury
1,410 lbs of arsenic
11.01 lbs of cadmium
574,128 lbs total (Metals)
75,104 lbs copper
43 lbs of gold
3.32 lbs of platinum
17.5 lbs of palladium
34.792 lbs of aluminum
464,168 lbs of steel
