Two options available for your old electronics are donating products for others to use or recycling unusable items. Many electronics contain small amounts of toxic materials that need to be kept out of landfills, so it is important for us to recycle electronics.

Unfortunately, some organizations claim to recycle electronics, but do not follow through with this claim. Some end up placing items in landfills or shipping them to another country for disposal, rather than reclaiming the materials and properly disposing the toxic substances.

Carefully choose a legitimate charity or recycling center to avoid passing on hazardous waste to others that may put it in a landfill or ship it illegally to foreign countries. An electronics recycler should be able to provide an overview of its procedures for:

To find a legitimate recycler in your area:

• Check with your local retailer about their electronics recycling program
• Contact your local municipality about recycling programs or events in your area
• Check your state’s recommendations for recycling (below).

  Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
  Washington Department of Ecology
  Montana Department of Environmental Quality
  Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
  

• Are the products dismantled in the United States? As one step to help ensure your electronics do not end up in a landfill, find a recycler with procedures that ensure products are dismantled in the United States.

• Does the electronics recycler, or its downstream vendor(s), export equipment outside the U.S? If so, can the electronics recycler supply you with information on the legality of such exports?
  

• Does the recycler provide a recycling guarantee or certificate?
  

• If the electronics recycler is geographically located in an area that is regulated by a State and/or local electronics recycling law, can the electronics recycler provide a description of those laws?
  

• Can the electronics recycler provide information on its compliance history? This type of information should include recent criminal (past five years) or civil (past three years) violations, and how they were, or are, being addressed.
  

• Can the electronics recycler provide the names and/or locations of the downstream businesses to which it sends equipment or components?