SERI reminds consumers to responsibly recycle electronics this holiday season

New electronic products are popular gifts during the holiday season, but what happens to all of the older tablets, gaming systems, TVs, mobile phones, laptops and other devices that are being replaced?

In many cases, they accumulate in basements or take up space in closets or drawers, according to Boulder, Colorado-based Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI), a nonprofit organization that seeks to promote the environmentally responsible management of used electronics. There is a better solution that frees homes from postholiday clutter, preserves valuable resources, protects the environment and safeguards confidential electronic data, the nonprofit says.

"Stashed in a closet, old electronics are an unwanted space stealer; but, when responsibly recycled, they’re literally a gold mine,” says Patty Osterberg, director of education and outreach for SERI.

“Recycled electronics contain 40 to 50 times more gold, silver and other precious metals than ore that is mined from the ground,” she adds, referencing a study published by United Nations University.

Recovering the precious metals contained in electronics is becoming increasingly important as the global demand for new electronic products deplete the world’s limited supply of these natural resources, SERI says. Responsible recycling preserves resources by reducing the environmentally destructive need to mine for raw materials and also keeps potentially toxic materials out of landfills.

Resource preservation is one of the fundamental principles of SERI and of the R2 (Responsible Recycling Practices) Standard, a certification program administered by SERI that establishes best practices for reuse and recycling.

Even more environmentally beneficial than material recovery, however, is extending the life of electronic devices through reuse, the nonprofit says.

Osterberg adds, "Used electronics that have been tested and refurbished are bridging the digital divide by making affordable electronics available to more people all around the world. In addition to reusing electronic devices, many electronic parts and components can be reused to manufacture completely new and different products. For instance, parts from a smartphone can be reused to manufacture e-readers and remote controllers."

SERI reminds consumers that a recent study found that 48 percent of the electronic devices being sold for reuse on popular online sites still contained personal data, so it’s important to be careful when choosing a company to recycle devices. The nonprofit says, “Choosing an R2 certified broker or recycler reduces that risk and provides added assurance that your data will be securely destroyed in accordance with the top industry practices for data destruction. The R2 Standard requires that electronic devices are reused or recycled in a way that most benefits the environment, protects human health and safeguards confidential electronic data.”

SERi says R2 certified brokers and recyclers must pass comprehensive annual audits of their procedures and facilities to prove their conformance to the best practices identified in the R2 Standard.

More than 550 companies operating in 22 countries are R2 certified.

In addition to overseeing the R2 Standard, SERI is leading other global initiatives to make sustainable electronics recycling and reuse more accessible worldwide.