A massive amount of electronic equipment was bought between 1970 and 2000 and it is now coming to the end of its life, which has created a growing e-waste problem for communities. Various government jurisdictions are wrestling with how to achieve a better system for designing, building, using and then recycling these items. The trend is towards ensuring that they're built to have a long life, be repairable, and that it be designed to be recyclable in the first place.

What we can do now:

Reuse it

• List on a classified ad website for others to reuse it
• Give away to charitable organizations, thrift stores, shelters or schools that may accept computers and computer periphery in working condition  
• If it's not reusable, ask a local electronics repair service if they reuse and recycle certain components
• If you can't hold on to it, ask your municipality what happens with your e-Waste. Hopefully they will say that it goes into a certified e-Waste program locally.

Waste electronic and electrical equipment (see list) contains both hazardous and valuable materials that can be recovered by proper recycling.

Cameras

• Digital cameras
• Digital picture frames
• Non-digital cameras
• Security cameras
• Video cameras
• Web cameras

Cell Phones

Computers & Accessories

• Desktop, laptop, portable & tablet computers
• E-book readers
• Modems, external drives, zip drives
• Monitors, keyboards, mice, cameras, microphones
• Printers, scanners, copiers & multi-function devices
• Wires, cables, power cords

Home Office Equipment

• Answering machines & dictating machines
• Calculators & adding machines
• Electronic typewriters
• Fax machines, printers, copiers & multi-function devices
• Pagers & PDAs
• Telephones (corded & cordless)

Televisions & Audio/Video Equipment

Television, Home Theatre System

• Audio Docking Station
• CDs, DVDs (Music, Video, Software)
• Digital picture frame
• Radio, Clock Radio
• Receiver, Amplifier, Equalizer, Speaker, Turntable
• VCR/DVD/Blu-ray Player/Recorder
• Vehicle Radio, Speaker, Player
• Video & Audio Cassettes, 8-Track
• Video Game System/Software

More basic information on e-waste here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-waste