How do you dispose of old electronics and wires?
MINNEAPOLIS — If you have a drawer packed with old cellphones, cameras and laptops, you're not alone.
Global electronic waste has hit record highs and it's growing five times faster than recycling rates. So how should you dispose of e-waste?
It's easy for electronics to pile up but at Repowered in St. Paul, they're breaking even bigger piles down.
"They're looking for things were can reuse, repair, things that have value," Repowered Test and Repair Manager Chris Olson said.
Repowered is the electronics recycling partner for Ramsey County.
"Probably three times a year I stop by here. I'll bring in iPhones, laptops, old computers, old wires and cords," said Mark Nelson, of Roseville.
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Don't worry, you don't have to to untangle them.
"We accept almost everything that has a cable, battery or circuit board," Olson said.
They accept almost everything at no cost.
People do not need to do anything with their electronics to protect personal information that may be on the device before dropping it off.
"Anything that's data-bearing is either sanitized or destroyed," Olson said. "Nothing with data will leave our facility so folks can rest easy."
Hennepin County runs two facilities that accept e-waste in Bloomington and Brooklyn Park.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency lists more than 200 registered collection sites statewide There may be drop-off fees, so shop around.
You can also recycle old electronics at certain retail stores like Best Buy, Apple or Stapes. Just be sure to check their website first for details about what items they accept.
Some cities, like Ridwell, offer curbside pick-up.
"A lot of these electronics have really toxic materials like lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic. Obviously, we don't want those getting into the environment," Olson said.
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In 2022, the world generated a record 62 million metric tons of electronic waste. Only 22% of it was properly recycled.
But at Repowered's retail store, they're making a dent in the growing problem.
"We can actually do the work ourselves of refurbishing it, retesting it and reselling it out into the community," Repowered Retail and E-commerce Manager David Quist said.
So dust off those electronics and keep recycling.
In the past five years, Repowered has refurbished almost 250,000 devices. Items that can't be saved are shipped to other responsible recyclers.
