The Life of E-waste

Have you ever wondered what happens to electronic waste, also known as E-waste, when it gets recycled? E-waste goes through several stages of life post-use.

The first stage in the life of E-waste is to be collected. When an electronic device becomes unusable, the materials can be salvaged by recycling it.

At Zero Waste Silicon Valley, electronics get dropped off five days a week as well as on Zero Waste Saturdays, our recycling drop-off events. We also collect E-waste from residents and businesses throughout the Bay Area. However, what happens to all of this E-waste once it has been collected?

The second stage is storing and organizing the E-waste in our warehouse. E-waste is brought to our warehouse to be sorted, weighed, and stored on pallets, waiting to be picked up by our R2 certified recyclers. Each and every electronic we collect is sorted into different categories: monitors, printers, CRTs, flatscreens, cellphones, laptops, network, wires, and mixed.

Once the E-waste is sorted and weighed, it’s ready for the third stage: transportation. A certified recycler that we partner with, like ERI or CEWS, arrives at our site to transport the E-waste. One of our Zero Waste team members utilizes the forklift to load the trailer. Inside the trailer, the E-waste awaits the next step in its journey as it is transported to a recycling center.

The fourth stage is to begin the recycling process at the recycling center. Electronics are dismantled so that the materials can be recycled. When recycled, materials that would otherwise end up in the landfill are given a second chance to be utilized in creating new devices. This salvages finite materials and prevents toxic chemicals from leaching into our waterways and soil. This is why it’s important to protect our environment and recycle E-waste instead of ending its life cycle at the landfill.

Watch the video to follow along with Luz, our E-waste expert and ZWSV supervisor, as she guides us through each stage of the life of E-waste.