No matter where you are, there’s an increased awareness today of what we should be putting back into the ground. We hear every day about plastics in the oceans and the impact of heavy metals in our water supply. Some states have mandatory electronic waste recycling, while others rely on the good will of regular folks to make sure that our planet stays healthy.
If you’re like me, you’re constantly looking at a pile of old cables and devices and wondering which ones you need to keep. If I kept every device I ever had, I’d be buried by now, awash in VHS tapes, CD-ROMs, and several generations of cell phones. I’d also be positively drowning in RCA cables, having bought or been given probably 100 of them over the years. But, although some who live with me might disagree, my home is relatively free of electronic clutter. I dispose of or responsibly recycle things all the time.
The unfortunate truth of recycling
Before really digging into the issue of cables, let’s share a rather unfortunate truth of recycling and electronic waste. Most cities and towns aren’t really equipped to handle the stuff that’s turned in for recycling. They can take care of the simple stuff: glass bottles, aluminum cans, stacks of paper, but when you get into something like electronics, it’s a challenge. In fact even something like an umbrella, which should be recyclable, presents a challenge. Think about it. The umbrella has a plastic handle, metal frame, and probably some sort of synthetic thread. All those materials are recyclable on the face, but the thing needs to be disassembled so the components can go their separate ways.
Electronic recycling centers can disassemble practically anything into recyclable parts, but it’s a labor and cost intensive process. It’s also a hazardous one, meaning a lot of safety equipment. Unfortunately a lot of recyclers sell their excess to overseas companies. It’s then shipped to countries where laws aren’t so strict. Locals there who work for pennies with no safety equipment then work in large, steaming piles of trash trying to find the most valuable items. By the way, yes it’s illegal to ship e-waste overseas. It doesn’t stop people from doing it.
But let’s not talk about that right now.
Let’s assume, even though it’s untrue, that everything you put in the recycle or e-waste is taken care of properly. What should you do with cables? Should they be considered electronic waste?
For the most part, cables don’t contain hazardous waste. There is certainly plastic and copper in them. The copper isn’t a problem at all. The plastic should be kept out of the environment but isn’t hazardous like the heavy metals in computer chips and TV tubes. There is probably a small amount of lead in cables, as they are soldered together, but it’s a tiny amount. I doubt even the folks in California would care about it. Yes, some cables do contain a few electronics but again it’s a small amount.
The bottom line here is that I don’t think you really HAVE to put cables in the e-waste. But it’s probably the best place for them. Because they have mixed materials, they’re going to end up in a specialized facility anyway. May as well start them on the journey and let the experts make the decision.
Of course once you have gotten rid of the old cables…
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