Where to Recycle Circuit Boards?

[LD1]

Just as the title suggests.

I am cleaning out the garage. I usually always strip things down and recycle copper, alum, brass, etc. When I get enough I take it in. But over the years I have amassed a pretty good amount of circuit boards. Everything from TV's, computers, industrial control pannels, etc.

I just hired weekly residential trash pick up about a month ago. I used to burn my trash, thats why these things have built up on me. They wont burn and i don't know where to take them.

So the question is, are they of any value (for all the chips, resistors, capacitors), and if so where to take them? If they are worthless, they will just go out with the rest of the trash.

 

[Chuck52]

In really large amounts, the gold contacts have some value, so you'd think some company might take them. The amount of gold is so small you probably really need massive amounts of boards to do anything with them.

Chuck

 

[KTurner]

Our county has a "hazmat" collection every other month or so. They take old electronics, paints, household chemicals, etc, but I'm not sure if they'd take plain circuit boards or not.

You may be able to unload, I mean donate, them to some people learning about electronics. Local ham radio clubs may have some ideas as well. Tinkerers love stuff like this, especially some of the non-consumer stuff like industrial control boards.

Keith

 

[LD1]

Our county has a "hazmat" collection every other month or so. They take old electronics, paints, household chemicals, etc, but I'm not sure if they'd take plain circuit boards or not.

You may be able to unload, I mean donate, them to some people learning about electronics. Local ham radio clubs may have some ideas as well. Tinkerers love stuff like this, especially some of the non-consumer stuff like industrial control boards.

Keith

I have no problem getting rid of them in the trash. I was more wondering if they are worth money to anyone.

I guess a "large amount" is a relative term. But if I dug them out and weighed them, I'd probabally say between 70 and 80 lbs of boards. But some still have large capacitors and transformers on them and what not.

They are in totes now that are about the size of a laundry basket. 3 completely full ones and stacked fairly tight.

 

[MPrewitt]

The company I work for in Tyler Texas uses circuit boards and when we have scrap boards. We save it up and then monthly take it to our local Goodwill store.
They will take all we bring, not sure what they do with it, but it gets it off our hands.

 

[LD1]

The company I work for in Tyler Texas uses circuit boards and when we have scrap boards. We save it up and then monthly take it to our local Goodwill store.
They will take all we bring, not sure what they do with it, but it gets it off our hands.

Well if a company is just giving them away I'd have to think that there is either no or very little monitary value to them. Looks like they will end up just going out with the trash.

 

[DocHeb]

I just hate putting things in the trash. You might look in the yellow pages for the Ohio equivalent of Manns Metal Recycling , a local place. You might not get any money, but at least it will be disposed of properly. You bring in boxes of stuff and they have 60 or so bins - one each for printers, motors, old computers, electric wire, copper, brass, aluminum, strings of christmas lights, etc. It seems to be better than just burying it.

 

[LD1]

A place similar that I have found is ohio e-recycle. But the problem is that they charge to take things. There online list for prices doesent do me much good cause they price so much for certain size moniters and tv and such.

I have already stripped everything down. All I have are the plain old green circuit boards. Packed full of chips, resisrots, transformer, transistors, etc, etc.

I may call around to some TV repair guys and see if they are worth anything and if not maybe they want them. Or maybe they will have an idea of what to do with them. But I am not about to pay someone to dispose of them.

 

[forgeblast]

could always throw them on ebay or craigs list mabys someone will bite.

 

[MikeInEburg]

Fortunately, our local landfill does electronic recycling at the same rate as normal dumping. Although we have regular curbside pickup and I could just put items in the trash, I'd have a hard time looking my kids in the eye.
Mike

 

[LD1]

Although we have regular curbside pickup and I could just put items in the trash, I'd have a hard time looking my kids in the eye.
Mike

You have never thrown away batteries, broken calculators, old remotes, burned up CFL's, etc. or burned anything that had rubber, styrofoam, or plastic in it etc.

I do my fair share to recycle/reuse everything I can. There is no way I am going to haul these somewhere and then pay THEM to take it from me.

That would be like telling you not to throw your beer cans in the trash, that you need to recycle them, but instead of them paying you, you have to pay them.

 

[Travelover]

I'd post it on Craigslist in the free section. Around here they leap on anything that is free.

 

[rekees4300]

Here is a site designed to keep stuff out of the landfill. Maybe somebody locally would be willing to pickup for free? The Freecycle Network

 

[schmism]

i collect my batteries, PCB's, paint, tires etc and take advantage of the once or twice a year "hazmat" dropoff.

 

[forgeblast]

I was on ebay last night, and a lot of people are putting old pentium processors on there and selling them for gold scrap.