Hoards of outdated technology and electronics are collecting dust, lying unused in people’s homes across the country, and while their original owners may be done with them, there are likely many possibilities for them to be recycled and reused for another life.
In 2024, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research reported that the global generation of electronic waste is increasing at a rate five times faster than the document rate of e-waste recycling.
UNITAR stated that 62 million tons of e-waste were generated worldwide in 2022, and less than a quarter of that amount was documented as being properly collected and recycled.
“Worldwide, the annual generation of e-waste is rising by 2.6 million [tons] annually, on track to reach 82 million [tons] by 2030, a further 33% increase from the 2022 figure,” the UNITAR report stated.
AZStRUT, a Mesa-based nonprofit, accepts old electronics for recycling.
Courtesy AZStRUT
(Courtesy AZStRUT)
Discarding e-waste improperly poses an environmental and health hazard, and the report anticipates a drop in the rate of documented collection and recycling from 22.3% in 2022 to 20% in 2030.
It noted that if the e-waste collection and recycling rates across the globe could be brought up to 60% by 2030, benefits to the collective health of people and the environment would exceed more than $38 billion.
Electronic consumers, whether that be of mobile phones, computers or other technologies, should have some obligation to make sure their old devices are properly disposed of, but that doesn’t absolve a company of its role in diverting e-waste from landfills and promoting sustainable practices, according to local experts.
Who’s responsible
Arizona State University’s Dwarak Ravikumar, an assistant professor at the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, researches circular economy solutions to address climate change.
A circular economy is a system where materials are consistently kept in circulation, eliminating waste, through the maintenance, reuse and recycling of a given product or material. Closing a business’s material supply chain is one of the ways to responsibly recycle technology, according to Ravikumar.
Businesses take back their products at the end of their lifespan and are then able to repurpose the materials or refurbish them so that they can be used again. Things like buy-back programs incentivize customers to dispose of unwanted devices — giving them a discount on their new devices and making it easier for them to get rid of the old ones.
Ravikumar emphasizes a business’s role in recycling technology because it’s quite difficult for a customer to not only find the right and responsible way to toss their old electronics but also to follow through with the disposal.
There’s the feat of shifting the behavioral instincts of many people to achieve circular behaviors at the individual level.
“Unless there’s a very good incentive like an economic incentive, then it’s very difficult for them to actually indulge in behavior that’s good for a circular economy,” Ravikimar said.
Consumers can take initiative in responsibly recycling e-waste, but he says it’s easier for a technology firm to take back the product than to convince thousands of people to return the product.
And aside from individual businesses, Ravikumar said that it’ll take a collaborative effort to change industry standards for recycling technology.
Taking notes from other industries that have high degrees of circularity, enacting policy that incentivizes sustainable business practices and using more sustainable design standards are all means to promote responsible recycling.
Ravikumar noted that government policies that give economic incentives to sustainable firms and ban shipping waste illegally to different countries would be able to curb the accumulation of e-waste globally.
“It requires a lot of partnerships between the government and the private sector, (keeping) the customer at the center of it all,” Ravikumar said.
Individual effort
Tech businesses have their role in ensuring responsible recycling of their products, but consumers do have options available to them with local e-waste recycling groups and companies welcoming their support.
The nonprofit Arizona Students Recycling Used Technology was started in 1997, as a result of Intel and Motorola pursuing a sustainable initiative that would provide used equipment to Arizona schools and nonprofits.
AZStRUT provides students with not just refurbished technology but also relevant education about their new devices.
Courtesy AZStRUT
(Courtesy AZStRUT)
Executive Director of AZStRUT Jared Bodine said that sustainability wasn’t a major priority at the time, but the group has seen continued success over the years.
Now operating independently of Intel and Motorola, the group has expanded its community efforts to educate schools about the technology received, disposing of e-waste responsibly and advocating for more responsible recycling.
While there are other entities in the Valley collecting technology for recycling, Bodine said that the group’s support for and relationship with local schools sets them apart from a lot of refurbishers nationwide.
“Our mission is met in so many ways because those devices are saved from [the] landfill, there’s an educational component and it benefits the people of the Valley and statewide,” Bodine said.
AZStRUT practices a circular economy with its services — collecting old devices, refurbishing them, putting them back in people’s hands, providing education to those served and sending devices that can no longer be used to reputable recyclers who extract the valuable metals.
Bodine said that while the group is educationally focused, AZStRUT also works with companies on green initiatives to collect old electronics that they can use with the educational arm of their work.
The nonprofit offers pickup services for businesses, assurance that data is deleted from donated devices, many partner drop-off sites across the Valley and more to try to make recycling more accessible.
“We take that off your hands, and at the same time you’re supporting a charity and education,” Bodine said. “It’s a win, win.”
Valley residents can donate almost all their old electronics at AZStRUT’s main facility in Mesa, 1720 W Broadway Road, which is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The group also accepts monetary donations to support its technology recycling efforts.
Meet Caroline Caroline Yu joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2020 as a summer intern covering Scottsdale. As an intern, she continued her coverage of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Tempe. After graduating in 2022, Caroline became a full-time reporter for Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. She is currently reporting for the Tempe market.
Community: She is a supporter of the environment and tries to get involved with related community events.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications, with a minor in French.
Random Fact: She used to be a ballet dancer for 10 years.
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Ravikumar emphasizes a business’s role in recycling technology because it’s quite difficult for a customer to not only find the right and responsible way to toss their old electronics but also to follow through with the disposal.
“Our mission is met in so many ways because those devices are saved from [the] landfill, there’s an educational component and it benefits the people of the Valley and statewide,” Bodine said.
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