What is a Certificate of Recycling for Electronics?

We are all working toward building a greener and cleaner future. E-waste and e-recycling will play a big role in the way we manage our future trash. While people are taking great strides toward better management of e-waste, such as repurposing or donating items or dropping things off with an e-recycling service, it is important to be aware of whether that e-recycler has the right certification. San Diego electronic recycling is picking up speed, so it’s important to consider just who is handling your e-waste. Here are some facts about e-waste and the need for certification.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that people choosing to e-recycle be sure to use a recycling service that is certified. At first glance, you might assume that everyone who advertises to take in e-waste must be certified, but that actually isn’t true. Certification is a rigorous process that must be repeated periodically. Why is this so important? A certified recycler ensures that the products for disposal will be handled safely and in adherence to high environmental standards. After all, most e-waste contains very toxic chemicals that we do not want to leach into our soil and water.

Handling e-waste safely is also of benefit to the people who work for the recycling unit, since they are the ones who have to come into contact with these products every day. Being certified ensures that you are protected, the environment is protected and they are protected. It is a labor issue, as toxic chemical contact daily can cause serious and negative health consequences.

Here are some tips to determine if your recycler is certified.

Check that the recycler is third-party certified. The recycler should be certified through an accredited electronics recycler certification program. Simply saying they are capable of handling e-waste isn’t enough.

Check that the certificate is up to date. Ideally, that certificate will be approved in the last three years. Anything older than that, and it could be time for a check-up. This is especially true as the pace of technology increases and new products with ever more complex chemical compounds enter the market.