Are broken parts considered E-waste?

[Axtman]

I have a medium size garbage can full of broken/removed parts from my repairs. I am referring to leaky capacitors, burned resistors, blown transistors, broken jacks, bad tubes, broken wires, blobs of solder, etc. Is this considered electronic waste or can I just throw it in my regular garbage? I do separate anything that is metal or paper. Thanks.

[J M Fahey]

It´s definitely hazardous E-Waste and must be treated as such.
Lead, nasty battery and electrolytic chemicals, the full Monty.

That they are assembled inside a nice plastic case or on their own does not make them any safer.

[shortcircuit]

We have an electronics recycle center , doesn't cost anything to drop off . City has a once a year hazardous waste collection site as well , you may want to check around your area and see if anything is available to you.

[Axtman]

Thanks! I will start separating ordinary garbage (and recycle) from E-waste. I too have a local electronics recycler not to far from my house.

[Randall]

I'm surprised this hasn't come up before, or at least I never saw it. It has never really occurred to me, especially electrolytics. I do save dead boards, chassis, trannies and such. The recycler is quite a ride from my place, but I will make the trip once a year. Cancels out my across the street Trump neighbor who can't be bothered to recycle at all, and they make it real easy here.

[olddawg]

I’m my city (San Diego, CA) they make a big deal out of touting recycling... then dump it all in the same landfill and really recycle nothing... trumpers or not.. There are monthly “electronics recycling” days at various locations (like High Schools) where you drop off appliances, stereos, computers, etc on specific dates. There are a few (fewer and fewer) places where you can turn in aluminum cans).. but the curbside recycling situation is a complete joke. I’m not sure if a “electronics drop off” place would take a 50 gallon drum of old components though. Back in the day the electronics repair shops I worked for had “industrial” dumpster that we filled with boards, chassis, and everything else. Who knows where it went from there. A lot of stuff ended up in the “Elephant Graveyard” in Mexico.

[Leo_Gnardo]

I’m my city (San Diego, CA) they make a big deal out of touting recycling... then dump it all in the same landfill and really recycle nothing... trumpers or not.. There are monthly “electronics recycling” days at various locations (like High Schools) where you drop off appliances, stereos, computers, etc on specific dates. There are a few (fewer and fewer) places where you can turn in aluminum cans).. but the curbside recycling situation is a complete joke. I’m not sure if a “electronics drop off” place would take a 50 gallon drum of old components though. Back in the day the electronics repair shops I worked for had “industrial” dumpster that we filled with boards, chassis, and everything else. Who knows where it went from there. A lot of stuff ended up in the “Elephant Graveyard” in Mexico.

Much the same in upstate NY. I used to separate my electronics stuff. Then found there's no separate category for it. The only thing they're interested in, copper, aluminum, iron. Because they can get cash for that. Even though there is now enforced separation of recyclables from regular garbage, I'm told by county employees that once the metals are picked out, all the rest - glass & paper - goes into the gas fired incinerator whether it can be burned or not. Net result is increased charges to residents, because we have two trucks pick up refuse on garbage day instead of one. Full employment! Now three employees do the job of two, and the waste hauler gets to write off another hi tech garbage truck.

As far as stores handling electronic waste, Best Buy makes a big deal of taking old gear for free. Until you get there, that is. I had a broken display screen, they wanted $25 (plus tax!!!) to take it. Their excuse was "those things have mercury in them." Baloney, they get flung into the same dumpster & hauled off to Africa or India where poor kids & beggars rip 'em apart for the minute amounts of gold on edge connectors & IC sockets. Some public service.