That's a question you may have typed into your favorite search engine, "Recycle electronics near me." And you can, depending on where you live, but how do you do it?

Recycling electronic waste, or e-waste, is a growing trend both globally and in the U.S. as we buy new devices and gadgets at a mind-bending pace. And all of these things eventually break, die, become outdated or even obsolete. 

What do we do with them then?

What's the State of E-Waste in the World?

The reality of e-waste is that the global community is awash in old, broken and out-dated electronic devices. In fact, it's estimated that the amount of worldwide e-waste generation in 2018 was close to 49.8 million tons. If you stacked all of this up it would be roughly the equivalent of 140 Empire State buildings!

The United States is a world leader in many things and e-waste generation is one of them. As a nation, we are one of the world's leaders in producing electronic waste. And, considering that we only make up 4.27 percent of the world's population, it's an incredible to think that we produce more total e-waste than any other nation except for China.

In fact, the nation of China generated over 7 million metric tons in 2016 , while the U.S. came in second place with more than 6 million metric tons. The next runner up was Japan with only 2.1 million tons.

So, what happens with all that e-waste?

Well, the good news is that almost 100 percent of it can be recycled or reused.

Answering the "Recycle Electronics Near Me?" Query

First of all, it's important to understand that there are sometimes options to recycling your junk electronic waste, or e-waste. 

Perhaps the most obvious alternative is to simply give your old phone, tablet, or device to a family member or friend. Many electronics have quite lengthy operating lives, but simply get replaced with newer, improved versions by their owners.

A more formal option to this is to donate your usable electronics. 

This can be done through charitable organizations that specialize in used electronics or by contacting a local non-profit entity that could make use of them. Cell phones are probably the most common item purchased, replaced and disposed of and there are organizations that can make donating yours simple and gratifying.

If you want to donate your old phones instead of recycling them, here a some options to consider:

• Phones4Charity helps groups like the American Red Cross, the National Wildlife Federation, Feed the Children and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to raise funds through cell phone recycling. As a donor, you can choose from large organizations like these, or find a favorite local charity to support with your donations.
• AmericaCellPhoneDrive.org will help you do your community and the environment a favor, and legally comply with EPA regulations on disposal of toxic items such as batteries, by joining tens of thousands of individuals and over 5,000 local and national charitable organizations in recycling old, unused cell phones.
• Cell Phones for Soldiers is an organization that uses the profits from recycling donated phones to provide free calling cards to deployed U.S. soldiers so that they can connect with family back home. 

There is also a thriving market for selling used phones. 

The money management site MoneyPeach.com notes,

"What should you do with that old cell phone you have when you upgrade to a newer one? Don’t discount its value before you check out what you might be able to get by selling it.

Depending on the type and model of phone you have to sell, and the condition it’s in, you might be able to get more than you thought you would.

There are several sites that will allow you to sell used cell phones, either directly to the company, or to a private party or company as a third party buyer."

The post offers a great article to guide you through the process of selling your used phones and getting the most value for your device.

Local E-Waste Recycling is a Great Option

About 26,500,000 results.

That's what comes up with a simple Google search for the query "recycle electronics near me" for Sonoma County in California. (Warning: Your results may differ!)

However, the fact is, no matter where you live in the U.S., there is at least a handful of facilities nearby where you can dispose of recyclable electronic waste. When you want to properly dispose of your e-waste items like old TVs, computers, monitors and any electronic devices with circuit boards and speakers, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

Because of the number of disposal and recycling laws and regulations, especially in states such as California, a number of items like monitors, TVs, and cell phones can't be disposed of in the regular trash. This is because they contain hazardous waste materials.

And when you want to properly dispose of certain electronics such as a television or a computer monitor - particularly any old CRT devices you still have around - the process takes time, effort and money.

The good news is that junk hauling services that offer e-waste pick up and recycling can be a great option. This can be especially useful for businesses and other organizations that may accumulate larger amounts of old electronics over time. 

By using a professional junk hauling service to ensure that your electronics - whether a few monitors and computers, or a entire truck-load of e-waste - are properly disposed of by recycling or even re-use, you can significantly help reduce the e-waste disposal problem. And answer your search query, "Recycle Electronics Near Me?"

Professional Junk Removal for Your E-Waste Recycling

Junk King provides an efficient, safe and eco-friendly e-waste removal service so you don’t need to worry about the pick up or disposal of those old items. Not only that, but we make sure that your old electronics end up in the right place: whether it be a charity if the electronics are still functioning, or a recycling facility to ensure your e-waste is disposed of in an eco-friendly way.

We will pick up and haul away almost all types of e-waste, including:

• Computers
• Monitors
• Printers
• Televisions

Ready to remove those old electronics? It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3. You make an appointment by booking online above or by calling 1.888.888.JUNK (5865).

Our professional and insured e-waste removal team will show up at your home or office. We call 15 minutes before we arrive on site and we’ll give you a free estimate based on how much room your junk takes up in our truck. You point and we haul those items into our junk removal trucks, with no hidden fees.