What Can I Recycle?
Through advances in recycling technology, you have more options than ever. And it's a good thing because we need to conserve as much of our resources as possible. In this section, you'll learn about which materials you can and can't put in your bin.
See how the actions you take affect the environment.
Experience MoreWhat needs special handling?
Electronics
Electronics that are obsolete, broken, and destined for recycling or disposal are sometimes called "e‑ waste." There are many chemical and mineral elements in e‑ waste. A circuit board contains copper, gold, silver, platinum and palladium, as well as lead. If recycled properly, this waste is a valuable source of secondary raw materials. Watch this brief video to learn more about e‑ waste.
Computers (CPUs, monitors, peripherals, keyboards)
Every day in the United States, we throw out about 130,000 computers. What can you do when you no longer need yours?
Computers should never be dumped into a landfill. They are a valuable resource.
Computers contain a variety of recyclable material, including plastic, metal, and glass. In fact, nearly 100% of a computer is capable of being recycled.
When recycling electronics, make sure you're working with a reputable recycler such as Waste Management, who operates with integrity and transparency. Ask questions: What do you do with the equipment? Where do you send parts to be recovered? Where are the CRTs, metals, and plastics sent? Who handles the data destruction? Is the hard drive wiped clean of information? Is documentation of this provided? Can you give me information so I can delete all data and personal information myself?
Peripherals can also be recycled. These include keyboards, cables, mice, computer speakers, printers, scanners, floppy drives, optical media and external hard drives.
Certain retailers and manufacturers, including IBM, offer electronics recycling programs. Go to wm.com/ibm for more info.