What is in E-Waste: A Complete Guide

Enablers Tech
Oct 13
6 min read

E-waste is a globally concerned problem that is consistently giving rise to many environmental, economical, and health damages. Understanding what is in e waste and what is considered e-waste is crucial for everyone, whether it is an individual with minor quantities of e-waste or a business owner handling e-waste in bulk.

Technology is rapidly evolving, which increases the need and desire to upgrade old electronic equipment to new ones. This process is generating a large quantity of e-waste containing both valuable and toxic materials. This article will thoroughly guide you through all the details regarding e-waste and how you can handle it securely.

What is in e waste, electronic waste or e garbage

E-waste: What is it?

E-waste (electronic waste) —WEEE (waste electronic and electrical equipment)— refers to any discarded device that operates using electricity or batteries charged by electricity. It includes both functional and non-working electrical equipment that is thrown away in the trash without proper disposal.

These include different IT assets such as computers, laptops, TVs, servers, etc., and several household items such as refrigerators, washing machines, or other electric equipment. Anything that is attached to a circuit or charged by it is referred to as e-waste.

Electronic devices become e waste when they reach the end of their lifecycle and are no longer used by owners. In 2022, 62 million tons of e-waste were generated, and after this, till 2025, its rate is increasing rapidly. Different practices are being done to reduce e-waste, such as recycling, reselling, repurposing, or donating after refurbishment.

What Is in E Waste: Categorizing the Most Common Types

Want to know what is considered electronic waste?

Simply electronic waste or e garbage refers to unwanted or broken electronic equipment, but when we ask about what is in e waste? The answer is not simple; it is a very broad term, including all the electrical or electronic related devices. The following are the main types of devices that are considered to be electronic waste, with examples.

Consumer electronics, including smartphones, tablets, computers, televisions, gaming systems, etc.
Large household appliances, including refrigerators, washing machines, microwaves, ovens, etc.
Small household appliances and accessories, including toasters, vacuums, power tools, or other accessories such as chargers, cables, power adapters, batteries, remote controls, etc.
IT and telecom devices, including servers, Global positioning system (GPS), routers, printers, storage hardware devices, etc.
Lighting equipment, including LEDs, fluorescent lamps, etc.
Electronic components and parts, including circuit boards, displays, semiconductor chips, capacitors, medical devices, vending machines, etc.

E-Waste Composition: Valuable Elements and Toxic Threats

What is in e waste? Understanding this concept will help you reveal why proper disposal of electronic waste is so important. For you, these discarded devices are just broken or outdated equipment that is filling up your space, but this is a complex mix of both valuable and hazardous elements.

You can either take advantage of it by proper disposal (recycling, donating, or reselling) or you can pollute the environment and affect your health badly by irresponsible disposal (throwing away in trash).

Valuable and Recoverable Materials:

In circuit boards, there are many precious metals, including gold, silver, palladium, and platinum. Also, the rare earth elements are present in it, such as neodymium. For example, if you take one ton of old mobile phones and recycle them, they can yield 300-400g of gold, which is very valuable.
Copper and aluminium are found in wires and cables attached to the electronic device, which is recyclable and reused.
Several rare earth elements and plastic are recycled from casings and frames and are used in new technology.
Hard drives and motors in various electronic devices contain steel, cobalt, and nickel, like valuable elements.
Also, in the batteries, there is lithium, cobalt, nickel, etc.
Proper recycling of these elements recovers valuable revenue to generate new and advanced technology.

Hazardous Materials:

As electronic devices contain valuable treasures, they also contain toxic elements that are hazardous to both the environment and human health. These are

Heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium, etc.
Different chemicals, such as BFRs, PCBs that release toxins and are carcinogenic.
In CRT tubes and displays, it contains phosphorus coatings and lead oxide that affect human health badly.
There are other materials also that are not hazardous but are challenging in handling; these include plastic, glass, and ceramics.

All of these elements mentioned, both hazardous and non-hazardous, need a specialized recycling process that is done by Atlanta Ewaste Solutions. You can check the IT asset item list that we accept on the official website.

Why is E-Waste a Problem? Impact of E-Waste Components

Emerging e-waste degradation in regular trash bins is increasingly releasing toxic elements into the environment, posing a threat to the ecosystem and human health. This has become a global challenge to handle e-waste responsibly.

When this e-waste is disposed of in landfills, the toxic elements gradually start releasing from the equipment and pollute the soil, eventually polluting the water and air. This not only harms the community using the natural water source for drinking purposes but also harms the wildlife that unknowingly consume polluted water.

The World Health Organization has observed that health issues occur when you have direct contact with toxic elements, either by inhalation or touching. Improper disposal of electronic waste has put humans at great risk.

Impact of proper recycling:

Proper recycling of electronic waste opens the gate to multiple jobs for unemployed people.
Also, 95% of materials in e-waste are recoverable, increasing the economic value of e-garbage.
Proper recycling or disposal brings a cleaner environment with no e-waste hazard risk.

what is e-waste. before and after recycling

Strategies to Reduce and Manage E-Waste Effectively

E waste can be reduced and managed effectively in consideration of the potential hazards they are causing. Prevention is the key to a safe environment and a healthy lifestyle. Consider following these strategies to take part in a green environment.

Limit unnecessary upgrades and only buy electronics whenever needed. Extend the life of these devices by repurposing them for other equipment, such as using old mobile phones as additional webcam devices.
If the device is no longer useful for you but is functional, consider donating or reselling it. In this way, those outdated and useless devices become beneficial for you and others.
If the devices are non-functional and cannot be reused, find a specialized recycling company to handle your IT assets securely and effectively.
For businesses, they need secure data destruction and asset recovery. As a businessman, for effective e waste disposal, keep track of the recycling process and choose a secure ITAD service company to handle your electronic garbage.
Demand certifications and tracking reports for transparency and responsible disposal.

Conclusion:

Every device that is rotting in your drawers or cupboards has either a positive or a negative role in your life. You should decide whether to choose your convenience and throw them in the trash, harming the planet, or you can recycle or reuse them and earn some profit. Handling e-waste securely is crucial in this tech-dependent era.

People often call e-waste electronic junk or e rubbish without knowing the potential benefits and risks of these outdated devices. But being electronic junk, it is also an opportunity. We have discussed several electronic waste examples that will help you understand “what is e-waste” clearly.

FAQs:

Can E-Waste be fully recycled?

95% of materials in e-waste are recyclable with advanced technology, but challenges such as mixed plastics and other elements make it difficult to recover. The recycling rate is approximately 30% globally in 2025 due to these challenges.

What are the primary elements in e-waste?

Mostly, the electronic waste has 40-50 % metal, 20-30% plastics, glass, and ceramics, 5-10% and toxins less than 5%. There are more valuable elements than hazardous so proper recycling increases the economic value of electronic devices. Even though the toxic elements ratio is low but it causes a lot of harm to the environment, leading to potential life risks.

These percentages may vary depending on the type of asset processed.

Where can I safely dispose of electronic waste?

You can safely dispose of your electronics, including computers, laptops, servers, hard drives, PCs, mobile phones, or other IT equipment in Atlanta ewaste solutions that provide IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) services and secure data destruction. You can sell, donate, or recycle electronics at our facility. Or you can take your old device to the manufacturer for take-back programs and get credits in return. You can also donate them to local charities for further meaningful usage.