One can say that the downside of technological advancement is the accumulation of e-waste, which caused a lot of environmental and health problems all around the world. To fix this, organizations and companies sprung up to control and reduce e-waste through the use of e-recycling methods.

However, there’s a lot of misconceptions circling e-recycling, and these myths are often the reason why most business owners have reservations on recycling their e-waste. However, most -if not all- of these are completely false, and the rest that are true can be fixed with a solution right away.

Myth: E-recycling or not, it doesn’t make any difference.
Truth: It does, actually.
E-waste contaminates the soil and causes air pollution. The negative effect it has on the ecosystem negatively affects human health as well.
E-recycling reduces those effects, and allows for manufacturers to reuse and reclaim valuable metals from the obsolete technology. This means that there’s less need to mine for raw materials, and thus saving energy and natural resources. Despite popular belief, e-recycling doesn’t mean your e-waste ends up in a landfill. Avoiding landfills as much as possible is what e-recycling is about.

Myth: E-recycling is expensive.
Truth: True, there are costs involved when e-recycling, particularly if you’re seeking a e-recycling service provider, but it’s not that expensive. In fact, the more people and the longer they recycle, the cheaper it gets compared to simple disposal methods.

Myth: You can’t reuse old electronics.
Truth: This myth is the furthest to the truth there is. With digital and technological improvements these days, reusing old gadgets is quite easy.
In fact, it’s very much preferable. Old devices, even broken ones, aren’t necessarily useless and unusable. Check gadgets and see if you can have them repaired. A few fixes and replacing parts can make your old technology as good as new. You can have your old gadgets refurbished for your own use, sell it to electronics retailers or donate it to your community. Aside from repairing the device, there’s no cost involved.

Myth: E-recycling can only be applied to selected technology, like computers.
Truth: Other forms of technology, like household gadgets, lightbulbs, servers and everything technological can be e-recycled.
They all contain reclaimable materials, and can cause harm to the environment if not disposed properly. There are service providers that recycle only certain types of gadgets, so it’s important to sort through your e-waste depending on what type of technology it is. Some only accepts devices with circuits, like televisions and computers, while some deal with devices with chemicals.

Myth: All electronic recycling service providers ship e-waste abroad.
Truth: Unfortunately, this is partly true. Some ‘e-recycle’ service providers sell e-waste to companies in developing countries with very lax worker safety and environmental laws.

By giving up your old devices to these providers, you end up contributing to the pollution of another country. With your brand’s name at stake, that’s simply unacceptable. This is why you have to make sure that you choose an e-recycling service provider that is certified and has secured e-recycling methods.

With the right service provider, e-recycling can be cost-efficient, simple and most important of all, safe for your business.