A Closer Look at the E-Cycle Wisconsin Program

1
Aug

As of last November, Sadoff E-Recycling & Data Destruction is honored to be registered with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) E-Cycle Wisconsin program.

We’re thrilled to support E-Cycle Wisconsin, as we adhere to not just its laws but the very spirit behind the program. We are eager to build awareness for E-Cycle Wisconsin, advocate for their efforts, and share our excitement for our collaboration to continue make progress against the crisis of e-waste.

Electronics Recycling in Wisconsin

While we typically write about the global impact of e-waste in order to promote worldwide solutions, change starts at home—which for us includes Wisconsin.

E-Cycle Wisconsin reports Wisconsin households currently contain:

6 million TVs
3 million computers
3 million cellphones
- 6 million of these devices are unused and ready for disposal

Such numbers highlight how necessary e-recycling is to the state. E-Cycle Wisconsin was founded in 2010, and the program is responsible for recycling over 350 million pounds of electronics. This has led to E-Cycle Wisconsin recovering vast resources from these electronics, including approximately 50 million pounds of steel—enough to manufacture 21,000 cars!

Wisconsin Laws for Electronics Disposal

E-Cycle Wisconsin was formed as means of ensuring electronics recycling is carried out with the state’s laws (and its beautiful environment) in mind. In Wisconsin it is illegal to dispose of televisions, computers (including laptops), and cell phones via landfills or incinerators.

Across the state, E-Cycle Wisconsin’s stewardship facilitates manufacturer-funded programs to help properly recycle electronics. E-recycling comes with its costs, and E-Cycle Wisconsin helps individuals and schools cover these expenses. Manufacturers are required to register with the program each year, committing annually to contribute funding for Wisconsin’s e-waste.

The Wisconsin DNR is instrumental in disseminating information to local governments regarding e-waste disposal regulations, and collection and recycling options. Since its inception, E-Cycle Wisconsin has helped support a growing network of private business, nonprofits, and government organizations facilitating local collections. In 2010 there were 309 E-Cycle Wisconsin collection sites, rising to 545 by 2021.

Studies on E-Recycling in Wisconsin

E-Cycle Wisconsin is also responsible for studying the state’s e-waste. Waste heading to Wisconsin landfills is constantly monitored by the program as it’s sorted. Among revelations, E-Cycle Wisconsin discovered that from 2009 and 2020-2021, while disposal of TVs and monitors has decreased, the amount of smaller electronics headed for landfills has increased. It’s worth nothing that this increase occurred despite the fact that e-recycling is typically free for smaller devices.

The program studied the reasoning behind this phenomenon, concluding that 38% of Wisconsin residents don’t know where or how to recycle electronics, with another 18% lacking a convenient location to do so, and another 6% unable to transport electronics to a proper disposal site. Meanwhile, 20% of state residents find e-recycling too expensive and another 14% are too concerned about data security to hand over their devices to an e-recycler.

At Sadoff E-Recycling & Data Destruction, we are especially excited about registering with E-Cycle Wisconsin as an approved electronics recycler. Our capabilities bolster this successful program and address some of the aforementioned reasons Wisconsinites neglect to recycle electronics by providing more capacity for e-recycling and reputable, secure data destruction.

We’re thrilled to be working with E-Cycle Wisconsin. If you or your company are within the state, contact us if you’re interested in learning more about how you can help us help address Wisconsin’s e-waste.