RECYCLING SPOTLIGHT: E-Waste: What is it? Why does it matter?

Common E-Waste Items:

  • Consumer electronics: phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, computer monitors, TVs.
  • Audio/video gear: speakers, radios, DVD/Blu-ray players, camcorders.
  • Household appliances powered by electricity: microwaves, refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers.
  • Additional equipment: power tools, lighting equipment (especially LED fixtures, bulbs), wiring/cables, chargers.
  • Accessories and small electrical items: cables, chargers, mice, keyboards, game consoles, wearable tech.

Why does it matter?

  • Many electronic items contain valuable materials (e.g., gold, silver, copper) that can be recovered rather than wasted.
  • They may also contain hazardous substances (mercury, lead, cadmium, brominated flame retardants), which should not go to standard landfills.
  • Data security: if devices have storage (hard drives, memory cards, etc.), you should wipe or remove data before recycling.
  • Some items may not be accepted at certain drop-off locations (especially large items, hazardous components, items from businesses), so always check.

Key Facts:

  • E-waste is one of the fastest-growing solid waste streams in the world.
  • In 2022, an estimated 62 million tons of e-waste were produced globally. Only 22.3%
  • was documented as formally collected and recycled.
  • Lead is a common substance released into the environment when e-waste is recycled, stored or dumped using informal activities, including open burning.
  • Informal e-waste recycling activities may have several adverse health effects. Children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable.
  • ILO and WHO estimate that millions of women and child laborers working in the informal recycling sector globally may be at risk of hazardous e-waste exposures.

Sources: World Health Organization

Back

More News

Dec 22, 2025

JANUARY IS STALKING AWARENESS MONTH

The Shawnee Tribe’s Behavioral Health Program is providing information in January for Stalking Awareness Month. Stalking is a serious and often misunderstood form of victimization. It involves a pattern of behaviors that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety or experience significant emotional distress. Stalking is not rare, and it is not […]

Read More
Dec 22, 2025

RECYCLING SPOTLIGHT: WHAT TIRE RECYCLING IS

Tire recycling (or rubber recycling) is the process of collecting worn-out tires and reprocessing them into useful materials instead of letting them take up space in landfills. Because tires are durable and don’t break down easily, recycling them protects the environment, reduces fire risks, and eliminates potential mosquito-breeding sites in improperly disposed tire piles. Common […]

Read More
Dec 4, 2025

HEALING & TRAUMA: NAVIGATING TRIGGERS AROUND THE HOLIDAYS

For many people, the holiday season brings connection, celebration, and routine changes. But for survivors of domestic violence or past trauma, this time of year can also bring unexpected emotional challenges. Increased stress, family expectations, and sensory triggers can intensify anxiety, depression, and symptoms of PTSD. Holiday environments can activate the brain’s trauma pathways. Sensory […]

Read More
Dec 4, 2025

TRIBAL HISTORY & RETROSPECTIVE FROM AMBASSADOR SPARKMAN 

 On Saturday, September 20, during the Annual Meeting of the Tribal Council, former Shawnee Chief Ron Sparkman gave a history and retrospective. In 2019, the Business Council gave Sparkman the title of Ambassador to the Shawnee Tribe. He served as Chief from 2001 to 2019.   “We have come a long, long way,” said Ambassador Sparkman. […]

Read More
Nov 6, 2025

RECYCLING SPOTLIGHT: HOW & WHY TO RECYCLE MOBILE PHONES

WHY SHOULD I RECYCLE? HOW DO I RECYCLE? Sources: earth911.com

Read More
Nov 4, 2025

WEEMEYAKWE: AT THE MOUTH OF SCIOTO RIVER

by A. Gwynn Henderson and David Pollack The original mouth of the Scioto River, in what is now southern Ohio, is far from Oklahoma. So far, perhaps, it has been forgotten. But important events in Shawnee history—in the mid-1700s and thousands of years earlier—took place there. Two painted panels on Portsmouth, Ohio’s floodwall highlight its […]

Read More
Oct 29, 2025

SHAWNEE TRIBE DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY AS SNAP PROGRAM HALTS; EMERGENCY FUNDS RELEASED TO SUPPORT CITIZENS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MIAMI, OK — The Shawnee Tribe has declared a state of emergency and released emergency funds to assist citizens who may lose access to food assistance following the federal government’s suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The U.S. Department of Agriculture notified the Tribe on October 22 that SNAP operations will […]

Read More
Oct 14, 2025

ELDERS' LUNCHEON

RSVP to the Elders’ Luncheon!

Read More
See All News