A Complete Guide to Safe Circuit Board (PCB) Disposal in Atlanta

Enablers Tech
Dec 6
6 min read

Circuit boards, or printed circuit boards (PCBs), are the backbone of modern electronics and are found in everything from computers and servers to industrial equipment. While these boards are essential for IT, they contain hazardous materials such as mercury, lead, and brominated flame retardants. If these boards are disposed of improperly, they can pose serious health and environmental risks.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforce strict guidelines for the safe and legal disposal of hazardous waste. Compliance with these regulations is mandatory for businesses, healthcare facilities, and institutions.

This guide provides complete information on disposing of circuit boards (also known as printed circuit boards) in a sustainable way in Atlanta. It elaborates on everything from risks and benefits to step-by-step instructions and trustworthy professional services for circuit boards disposal. By understanding and following these practices, you can ensure your business is compliant and help protect the environment and public health.

A Complete Guide to Circuit Boards Disposal Safely in Atlanta

What is Circuit Board Recycling and Disposal?

Circuit board recycling involves recovering valuable components and metals from discarded or obsolete boards. Circuit boards contain both valuable metals, such as gold and silver, and hazardous materials, like lead and mercury. The recycling process involves disassembling the board, mechanical separation, chemical treatment, and hydrometallurgical processes. The five steps of circuit board disposal are as follows:

Dismantling and Shredding
Separation of Components
Recovery and Filtering
Extraction of Valuable Materials
Safe and Legal Disposal of Hazardous Components

An efficient and effective circuit board recycling process supports sustainable e-waste management and a circular economy.

What is Circuit Board Recycling and Disposal

The Challenges of Circuit Board Disposal

The materials and components of circuit boards, or printed circuit boards, make recycling a challenging process. Some of the key challenges are as follows:

Hazardous Material

Circuit boards contain hazardous materials like mercury, lead, and cadmium. Many of these materials and components are hazardous and need careful handling for safe and legal disposal.

Complexity of Materials

Printed circuit boards are made of a complex mixture of materials and components that are difficult to separate. For example, circuit boards have layers of plastic and metal composites, which make it difficult to separate materials.

Need for a Specialized Component

The disposal of circuit boards requires a complex process and specialized equipment. The equipment must be able to perform tasks to extract lead, tin, copper, and other metals and dispose of the hazardous materials safely.

For these reasons, it is important to use a qualified recycling provider to ensure proper handling of hazardous materials and disposal.

Benefits of Sustainable Circuit Board Disposal

Proper disposal of circuit boards has several benefits, including economic, resource-related, and environmental advantages:

Economic Benefits

Through professional disposal of circuit boards, a number of valuable metals and components are recovered that can be sold or repurposed.

Resource Benefits

Circuit boards contain a significant amount of copper, silver, and gold, and recycling reduces the need to mine for new resources. Safe disposal of printed circuit boards conserves natural resources.

Environmental Benefits

Hazardous electronic waste contributes to pollution and landfill accumulation. Recycling prevents the release of toxic chemicals into the environment and reduces the amount of waste in landfills.

Energy Savings

Recycling existing materials requires less energy, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For instance, according to a United Nations (UN) report, producing just one desktop requires 22 kilograms of chemicals, 1,500 Kilograms of water, and 240 kilograms of fossil fuels.

Hassle-Free Circuit Board Disposal in Atlanta

Disposal of circuit boards or printed circuit boards (PCBs) is not a problem in Atlanta, and recycling can easily be taken care of by a professional e-waste recycler like Atlanta eWaste Solutions. With professional expertise in circuit board recycling, we can easily dispose of your IT equipment and circuit boards.

How Atlanta eWaste Solutions Handles Circuit Board Disposal

Comprehensive Circuit Board Disposal and eWaste Recycling

Atlanta eWaste Solutions offers full-service solutions for end-of-life circuit boards and IT equipment. We follow a strict zero-landfill policy and never send materials to landfills. Circuit boards are collected, processed, recycled, and disposed of in a professional and environmentally friendly manner. The range of industries we serve includes:

Corporations and IT companies
Manufacturing industries
Pharmaceutical and healthcare companies
Retailers and distributors
Government agencies and financial institutions
Nonprofits and educational institutions

Pickup and Convenient Logistics

Atlanta eWaste Solutions offers free pickup for bulk items to help businesses and organizations dispose of large volumes of circuit boards without the need to transport them. We handle asset removals, packaging, and logistics from your location, making the process smooth and hassle-free.

We pick up all kinds of circuit boards and IT equipment in Atlanta. We recover precious metals from all types of circuit boards, including both populated and unpopulated boards.

Material Recovery and Sustainable Disposal

After the collection of circuit boards, our facility recycles the circuit boards and recovers the valuable metals. We ensure that hazardous materials are handled in compliance with all environmental standards. Our high-impact recycling processes help reduce e-waste, minimize environmental pollution, and recover precious materials, offering sustainable solutions to handle old circuit boards.

At our facility, we specialize in the recycling of all types of printed circuit boards (PCBs), including both populated boards with electronic components and unpopulated boards that are bare circuit boards. Our comprehensive disposal techniques recover gold, silver, copper, and other valuable materials with zero landfill waste and minimal pollution. Through recycling both populated and unpopulated boards, we promote responsible e-waste management and sustainable circuit board disposal in Atlanta.

Value Recovery/Buy Back options

For equipment with residual value, such as working computers and network devices, Atlanta eWaste Solutions offers resale options. This helps clients to recover part of their investment while disposing of their IT equipment responsibly.

Conclusion

In Atlanta, circuit board disposal is not just an environmental responsibility but a legal requirement for businesses. Improper handling of e-waste like circuit boards or printed circuit boards (PCBs), can release hazardous materials into the environment and create health risks, pollution, and landfill issues. By following sustainable and legal disposal practices, you preserve valuable resources, protect the environment, and ensure that personal and business e-waste is handled responsibly.

Atlanta eWaste Solutions offers professional services for circuit boards recycling and makes sure the process is simple, safe, and secure. We offer certified recycling, a zero-landfill policy, and secure data destruction; ensuring circuit board waste is managed safely and in full compliance with Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD)s regulations.

Schedule Your Pick-Up

Call us to book an appointment for hassle-free circuit board disposal in Atlanta.

Get a Free Quote

Fill out the online form and get a quote for efficient disposal of printed circuit boards. Find out how much you can recover from your circuit boards.

Ensure Compliance

Atlanta eWaste Solutions is a certified recycler that will help your business or organization comply with Atlanta and state regulations and protect the environment.

Frequently Ask Questions

What are the risks of not recycling my circuit board?

Improperly disposing (e.g., throwing it in the trash) results in environmental and health hazards. E-waste (electronic waste) contains heavy metals and toxic chemicals like chromium, mercury, and lead, which can spread into the environment. These substances cause health problems for both humans and animals.

Can you throw circuit boards in the Recycle Bin in Atlanta?

No. In Atlanta, electronic items cannot be placed in standard curbside recycling bins. The Atlanta municipality excludes e-waste from household recycling due to its hazardous nature. State and federal regulations apply to businesses and institutions, requiring them to use an authorized recycler. Your old or obsolete circuit boards contain valuable elements and heavy metals and should never be disposed of in landfills.

How to dispose of circuit boards in Atlanta?

Circuit boards contain hazardous materials and should never be thrown in the trash. The best way to dispose of a circuit board is through a certified e-waste recycler, such as Atlanta eWaste Solutions, who can handle collection, recycling, and ensure disposal of circuit boards in an environmentally friendly and compliant manner.

What recyclable materials are in a circuit board?

Printed circuit boards contain plastics such as nylon and epoxy; metals like aluminum, tin, and copper; and other components like capacitors, transistors, and resistors. Atlanta eWaste Solutions provides complete services to recycle the circuit boards and efficiently separate the plastics, metals, and chemicals to minimize the environmental impact and properly dispose of e-waste.

What documentation do I need for Circuit board disposal in Atlanta?

We need basic inventory information such as circuit-board type, quantity, and whether they store data. We will handle all paperwork, packaging, and logistics, providing you with a complete Disposal Manifest.

Can damaged or burned circuit boards be recycled?

Yes, absolutely. Damaged circuit boards are recyclable, and even water-damaged or fire-damaged circuit boards can be processed safely to recover valuable metals and remove hazardous materials. We accept circuit boards with attached components, and these materials are separated during our processing.

How do you determine the value of circuit boards?

The valuation process depends on several factors such as board type, condition, and current commodity prices. Populated boards with components like processors and RAM (Random-Access Memory) have a higher recovery value, compared to bare or unpopulated boards.