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Hi Folks,

Does the forum have a search feature?

I saw a post the other day about what people do with the cases they gut, but I can't find it now. I'm looking for the best ways to recycle plastic computer, monitor and tv casings.

Thanks
Megabyte

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Top right side below the logo bar. Left of “user control panel”
I’ve talked extensively on plastic. Like leaded glass, it’s a major problem. ABS and PC-ABS have buyers in major cities and industrial markets. You just need to search and make calls to find them. It’s not inexpensive either: current pricing for abs pellet is about $1.20 per pound. So your scrap range should be 50-70 cents from a standard buyer.

Other plastics are hit or miss. A good number of steel yards will buy some plastics; mainly PVC, compressed PS, and PETE. All of which are usable in steel production. Price is usually at or below steel shred rate.
If you happen to have a polystyrene manufacturer around near you they all accept clean compressed polystyrene. Dart and Solo being the largest companies. HDPE and LDPE will usually be recycled curb-side if they are smaller than the opening to the bin.
Just about any PET can be curb recycled. Polypropylene is harder to deal with if it’s not stated by your curb pickup company they take it; and sadly you may have to pitch it. :’(

Again, your best bet for most plastics is to call the closest large yard by you for steel/iron. Any that buy more than 500 ton per month are likely selling directly to melt. And that’s your goto for plastics.

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They recycle 1, 2 & 5 curbside here.

The other info is invaluable- thank you, looks like I have some calls in my future.

Don't know how I missed the search link, thanks for that too.

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I’m surprised. Polypropylene at the curb!

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Yeah, but the question is what's actually happening to it. Years ago I organized a tour of our recyclery for an environmental guild and we learned all sorts of nuance, but the city has changed contracts since then and there's all kinds of shade cast on what they're actually doing. I'm thinking about trying to organize another one so we can update our knowledge. I was surprised they actually scheduled it. Not sure if I'll be so lucky this time.

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Methods exist in trial locations to sort out PP via IR blasting.
But… it’s a very limited trial. You may be a lucky one?.

Most plastics rejected from auto sort are burned with iron and steel in the steel recycling process.
(And yes, a large amount sadly still gets landfilled. )

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Back in the rabbit hole.

I saw a post where someone said they pull the boards then put the cases back together and drop them at Staples. So I looked at Staples' website to see what they do with it. They're recycling program is managed by ERI. ERI's website has some vague videos about how they process the materials, some of them are kind of hilarious, like who would watch this video where you say absolutely nothing? Me I guess. Anytime the plastic is brought up, they say their "downstream partners" handle it. So I'm thinking about calling them to see if I can find out who their downstream partners are.


https://eridirect.com/sustainability/pr ... /monitors/

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ERI did mention who they sell metals to but they don't mention who they sell plastics to. If it does get sold to a downstream partner that recycles the plastics, I wonder how they clean it up as a lot of stuff tends to have metal attached to it like threads and retainers that are difficult to remove. Not to mention sorting the various types of plastics.

Since they don't mention where the plastic goes to, I wouldn't be surprised if it is incinerated or landfilled.