Most people know to recycle paper, plastic and aluminum, but millions of people do not realize electronics can be recycled too. It is called e-cycle.
With technology taking the world by storm, it is no wonder the fastest growing segment of the recycling world is electronics recycling.
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John Doyle with Universal Recycling Technologies says there is a lot more that can be recycled than most people realize.
"A lot of people focus on the cans, the plastics, the paper. But a lot of people are not aware of what is involved in electronic recycling," said Doyle.
Electronics that are not recycled are adding tons of waste to our landfills.
The EPA estimates there is more than 3 million tons of e-waste in the United States every year. Of that, only about 430,000 tons are recycled. Nearly 2.5 million tons of electronics go to landfills, and that number goes up every year.
Doyle says there is very little that can not be recycled.
"You can recycle pretty much -- the rule of thumb: if it has a plug, we can recycle it. You're talking computers, monitors, televisions, VCRs, DVD players, alarm clocks, cell phones, iPods, anything pretty much with a battery or cord can be recycled," said Doyle.
After buying brand new gadgets, instead of tossing the old electronic gizmos into the trash, Doyle says consider throwing it in a recycle bin.
Electronic retail giant Best Buy also has a recycling program at its stores, but check first because some stores have restrictions on what they can accept.
For more on the city of Houston's electronics recycling program, visit www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/electronics_recycling.html.