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March 25, 2026

How to recycle those old laptops, iPhones and earbuds you have lying around

  • The world generates millions of tons of electronic waste — also called e-waste — each year.
    • By ALEXA ST. JOHN and KIKI SIDERIS
    Associated Press

    Many consumers are guilty of filling drawers or closets with old laptops, cellphones, fitness trackers and other electronic devices once they are no longer needed. It’s hard to know where to recycle those items, or it seems costly and inconvenient.

    The world generates millions of tons of electronic waste — also called e-waste — each year. According to the United Nations’ most recent estimate, people worldwide produced 137 billion pounds (62 million metric tons) of e-waste in 2022, and only about 22% of it was properly recycled. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that less than a quarter of e-waste is recycled in the U.S. each year.


     
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