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  • e-waste

What is e-Waste Recycling?

The exponential growth in electronic devices, combined with the torrid pace of technological advancement, means that more and more electronic devices are reaching the end of their useful lives. These devices contain both toxic substances and valuable materials – and they also contain confidential corporate and personal information that should never get into the wrong hands. Effective e-waste recycling is the process of disposing of these obsolete electronic devices in a way that destroys the data, recovers all the valuable elements for reuse, and ensures that all toxic substances are handled to the highest environmental standards.

How does e-Waste get recycled?

Electronic waste such as old cellular phones, computers, printers and televisions are delivered to a certified “primary processor” where the data and the device are destroyed.. Discrete streams of the various elements that made up the electronic device are then directed to downstream processors that further refine and recover material such as plastic, base and precious metals to be reused in the manufacture of the next generation of electronic devices.

How does recycling e-Waste make us more sustainable?

Electronic waste is a major global problem. Unfortunately, the vast majority of e-waste continues to be either directed to domestic landfills – or shipped off to developing countries in Asia or Africa where impoverished workers use very crude processing techniques in dealing with the e-waste. This results in both environmental and human atrocities, and an endless amount of cyber-crime and identity theft. Fortunately, there is a very ethical and effective alternative. When local certified facilities process e-waste in a manner that ensures that all the toxic materials are managed to the highest environmental standards and that all the valuable materials are recovered and reused in new manufacturing applications, thus reducing the dependency on virgin materials… e-waste goes from being a major environmental problem to one of the best examples of sustainability.

e-Waste Recycling image gallery

Batteries
Batteries

The batteries that power many electronic devices contain many materials that are valuable, recyclable, and toxic if disposed of improperly.

CFLs
CFLs

Fluorescent tubes in monitors, office lights and our homes contain mercury, a known health hazard. Proper recovery of this material reduces the toxic effects associated with mercury exposure.

Computer components
Computer components

The integrated circuitry found in electronic devices contains many rare earth metals in small quantities. These metals are valuable and can be reused in new devices.

E-waste box
E-waste box

E-waste is collected in our waste room, and weighed to quantify how much has been collected. Collected items include old computers and accessories, batteries, florescent lamps and printer toner cartridges.

Hard drives
Hard drives

Identity theft is on the rise. Destruction of sensitive data on hard drives prior to material recovery is an important step in proper disposal of electronic waste.

Ink cartridges
Ink cartridges

Printer cartridges are a significant waste stream. Our cartridges are collected to be refilled or remanufactured whenever possible.

Monitor tubes
Monitor tubes

This old cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor shows many different materials – copper for wires, glass for the screen, iron in magnets, plastic for wire insulation, solder on the circuit board and aluminum and steel for the body.

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Did you know?

  • What is E-Waste, and why is it a problem?

    The Information Age has created an electronics industry that is the fastest growing manufacturing industry in the world. With this growth comes rapid product obsolescence resulting in an ever-growing waste stream consisting of electronic waste or e-waste.

    E-waste - including computers, TV's, cell phones, and other electronic products - is growing approximately 4 times faster than other waste streams. Experts estimate that 35 to 40 million tons of e-waste was generated worldwide in 2010. Unfortunately, it is estimated that less than 15% of the e-waste generated is being properly recycled.

    Instead, the vast majority of e-waste is stored in basements or warehouses with no solution in sight. Even more alarming is that most of the e-waste that is being "dealt with" is simply dumped in landfills, or shipped off to developing countries in Africa or Asia where impoverished workers use extremely crude techniques in an attempt to extract the value from the old electronics. This practice has become one of the greatest environmental travesties of our time as it results in terrible environmental damage and causes horrible health problems for the people in those communities.

  • What happens to E-Waste if not disposed of properly?

    The bulk of e-waste ends up dumped in municipal landfills or illegally shipped to developing countries for crude processing. These practices cause major problems:

    1) E-waste contains significant amounts of toxic or hazardous materials such as heavy metals (mercury, lead, etc), brominated fire retardant compounds and polyvinyl chlorides. When e-waste is dumped in landfills or crudely processed in developing countries, these toxins leach into the soil and groundwater causing serious environmental damage, crop deficiencies, birth defects, and serious illnesses.

    2) When e-waste is dumped in landfills, the world misses the opportunity to recycle the plastics, steel, aluminum and precious metals that were used in the manufacturing of that old device. Then, in the absence of recycled elements, virgin materials are required in the manufacturing of new electronic equipment - which puts great pressure on the earth's limited non-renewable resources.

    The Recycling Game

    Many companies claiming to recycle e-waste are actually collecting equipment to be STRIPPED & SHIPPED. Parts of computers that are readily re-usable - including hard drives that usually contain highly confidential data - are stripped from the machines and used to create refurbished or hybrid computers for resale.

    The left over components and chasis are often shipped to developing countries where toxic components are burned, dumped, or smashed apart by impoverished workers and children without proper protection.

Generously supported by:

ARTEX Environmental Corporation is a privately owned Canadian company strategically located near all major transportation links in Toronto, Ontario.

ARTEX specializes in the end processing of retired and obsolete electronic waste, providing an environmentally responsible alternative for “E-Waste” disposal. Our state of the art electronics waste recycling facility is designed to process “end-of-life” electronic products to the highest environmental standards, maximizing the recovery of recyclable elements such as plastic, base and precious metals.

With over 180 years of combined expertise in both advanced environmental technologies and information technology solutions, the ownership group and management team at ARTEX is uniquely qualified to create customized “total solutions” for customers across all industries.

ARTEX utilizes proven industrial equipment and sophisticated separation techniques to provide our customers with the most advanced environmental solutions at the lowest cost. We guarantee in writing that your e-waste will be processed in our Toronto plant to the highest environmental standards and that your data will be securely destroyed.

Artex’ Commitment to their Customers:

Best-Practices… Environmental Handling

Best-Practices… Secure Data Destruction

Best-Practices… Customer Service


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