ELECTRONICS
economic impact

Recycling is one of the services that comprise IT asset management or IT asset disposition (ITAD). Electronics can be recycled to recover a wide variety of materials including iron and steel, precious and rare earth metals, copper, and other metals; plastics; glass; and other commodities. As new technology and electronic devices continue coming on the market, recyclers are constantly innovating to ensure their processes keep pace with the changes.


Electronics Recycling is Essential
Can You Hear Me Now?

Recycling 1 million cellphones will produce 33 lbs. of palladium, 75 lbs. of gold, 772 lbs. of silver, and 35,274 lbs. of copper.

Big Economic Impact

The electronics recycling industry’s total annual economic impact in the U.S. is $5.45 billion.

Recycling Electronics Creates Jobs

The electronics recycling industry directly and indirectly supports nearly 45,000 jobs in the United States.

Phone Home

More than 90 percent of used electronics collected in the United States remains in the United States.

That’s a Lot to Process

U.S. recyclers process more than 5 million tons of electronic products a year.



Fun Facts
  • Steel, copper, aluminum, plastics, glass, and even gold and silver can all be found in electronics and recovered.
  • Recyclers inspect used equipment to see if it can be repaired. If it can, it is refurbished and resold to someone who needs it.
  • One metric ton of electronic recyclables from personal computers contains more gold than recovered from 17 tons of gold ore.

ELECTRONICS LIFECYCLE

 

HAVE QUESTIONS?

Joe Pickard
Chief Economist
Director, Commodities

JoePickard@isri.org
(202) 662-8542

Billy Johnson
Chief Lobbyist
BJohnson@isri.org
(202) 662-8548

Have Questions?