Recycling and recovery
Electronics and precious metals recovery
Gold, silver, palladium and copper recovery from electronics, with data destruction handled first.
Electronic waste carries recoverable gold, silver, palladium, platinum and copper concentrated in boards, connectors and contacts. Recovery precedes disposal, and certified data destruction precedes both.
Source: 40 CFR 261.4(a)(13) on the scrap metal exclusion, and Part 273What we handle
- Circuit boards and populated assemblies
- Servers, networking hardware and data centre equipment
- Industrial control systems and instrumentation
- Cable, connectors and contacts
- Laboratory and analytical instruments
- Batteries, removed and routed separately
Data destruction comes first
For most organizations this matters more than the metal value:
- Serialized inventory before anything is processed
- Physical destruction or certified wiping to a documented standard
- Certificate of destruction issued per item or per lot
- Chain of custody maintained from collection through processing
- Downstream processing audited and documented
A recovery certificate and a data destruction certificate are different documents and both are usually needed. Ask for both.
The regulatory position is mixed
Electronics sit awkwardly in RCRA. Whole devices sent for reclamation may qualify for the scrap metal exclusion. Circuit boards have their own conditional exclusion. Batteries and CRTs have separate rules again, and several states regulate electronics more tightly than the federal program.
The practical consequence is that a single pallet of mixed equipment can span three regulatory categories. Sorting at the point of collection, rather than at the processor, is what keeps the paperwork straight.
Common questions
Is electronic waste hazardous?
It depends on the item. Circuit boards can fail for lead, CRTs for lead, batteries for cadmium or mercury. Several exclusions apply when material is genuinely sent for reclamation, and state rules frequently go further than federal.
Do I get paid for e-waste?
On high grade material with real precious metal content, sometimes. On mixed consumer equipment, usually not, because processing cost exceeds recovery value. The assessment is made per lot rather than assumed.
How is data handled?
Certified destruction or wiping before processing, with a certificate issued and chain of custody maintained throughout. For regulated industries this is normally the deciding factor in vendor selection, ahead of price.
Related services
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Send a profile, an old manifest, or photographs of the drums. A technical professional will tell you where you stand.
This page summarizes federal requirements and is not legal advice. State programs can be more stringent than the federal baseline. Verify against current federal and state regulations before acting. Last reviewed September 2026.