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Electronic Recycling in Salt Lake City

Why e-waste recycling matters

Have you ever counted the number of electronic devices you own? It’s likely more than you thought.

The average American has 24 devices per household, and with the constant release of new products, it’s no surprise that the world generates over 63 million tons of e-waste each year, which outweighs the Great Wall of China.

Electronic gadgets consist of precious resources and materials, such as metals and glass, which necessitate significant energy for extraction and production. In contrast, recycling these materials consumes considerably less energy. The precious metals found in electronic waste can be repurposed for manufacturing new products, thereby diminishing the need for freshly mined or produced materials.

Most tech items are considered hazardous waste because they contain toxic compounds such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, chlorine, bromine, and flame retardants. When not disposed of properly or landfilled, these harmful chemicals leach into soil and groundwater. If electronic devices are incinerated, these chemicals go airborne and create dangerous air pollution. 

Because of their hazardous nature and high recyclability, keep electronics out of our landfill!

E-waste is the world’s fastest-growing waste stream, posing a massive environmental challenge. Learn why it matters and discover additional simple ways to reduce your electronic footprint today.

What you can recycle

Just about anything with a plug or charger is recyclable, including charging cables themselves. This includes devices such as:

  • Computers, laptops, printers, and other components, like keyboards, mouse, sound or memory cards, hard drives
  • Televisions
  • Landline and cell phones
  • Tablets & e-readers
  • GPS equipment, security system components
  • Video game consoles and controllers
  • Digital cameras (including dash and web cams), camcorders, lenses, binoculars, digital photo frames
  • Audio-visual (A/V) equipment, such as projectors, speakers, stereos, and headphones
  • Small appliances, i.e. kitchen countertop appliances, hair styling tools, vacuums, fans, space heaters, alarm clocks (click here for info on recycling large appliances in SLC)
  • Any cord, cable, charger, or connector

Does it still work? Where to donate electronics in Salt Lake City

Passing on working electronics is a great way to get rid of unwanted devices, extend their lifespan, and help others out.

  • Computers & components – Tech charities accept equipment such as servers, laptops, towers and desktop computers, LCD Monitors, smartphones & tablets, networking equipment, mice & keyboards, as well as power cords and cables. Tech Charities or SpyHop refurbish the donated tech and then distribute items to students and families in need. The Salt Lake Academy of Music is another option for donating computers and laptops.
  • Audio/Visual Equipment – Donate mixers, speakers, microphones, cables, and audio interfaces to the Salt Lake Academy of Music.
  • Any working electronic device – Try posting any unwanted electronic devices or any others in working condition to the SLC BuyNothing group, which is a fantastic way to pass along just about anything you no longer need.

Where to recycle electronics in Salt Lake City

There are four main options for recycling e-waste in Salt Lake City, and they are all free, with the exception of the landfill. These locations accept a wide variety of electronics, but the only item that has an associated cost is televisions. Unfortunately, free tv recycling isn’t really a thing–this is because of the large number of hazardous materials contained in components that require special handling.

  1. Best Buy and Staples are the best all-around places to recycle just about any electronic device or cable; check the links for exact materials accepted. There is no charge for items at either location, except for a $30 fee for TVs at Best Buy; Staples does not accept TVs. Free TV recycling is a rarity since televisions contain hazardous materials and require special care to recycle.
  2. Recycle Solutions (2066 W 2300 S) is another local electronic recycling option; they do not accept TVs or CRT monitors.
  3. Schedule your annual Call2Haul bulk waste pickup, which is free to all SLC residents. Electronic waste such as TVs, computers, printers, scanners, monitors, mobile phones, stereo and video equipment, and small kitchen appliances, are among the items accepted.
  4. TVs and other e-waste can be dropped off at the Hazardous Waste area of the Salt Lake Valley Landfill.

Recycle broken cell phones with any of the options above or with your wireless carrier.

**Note that both the SLC and Salt Lake County sustainability websites list Metech as an option for recycling electronics; however Metech’s website states that they no longer accept residential materials.

Got other things to recycle? Find more resources here.

More SLC recycling resources

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