Recipe for recycling

Across-the-board recyclers can keep discarded electronic products out of landfills by identifying and extracting component parts for resale and materials for reprocessing. The complete recycling of electrical and electronic equipment will in the future probably be handled by independent recyclers who become specialized in understanding the varieties of discarded equipment. They will plan the logistics of recovering any assemblies, components, and materials of value, and will develop the technologies necessary to extract them in a way that is economical and environmentally sound. The actual recycling activities will also probably take place in central locations, if for no other reason than the substantial costs of moving material and equipment. The integrated recycling approach ranks the means of disposal in order of feasibility: refurbishing; or equipment brokering, possibly to underdeveloped countries; component recovery; or full material recycling.< >