Where does that e-waste go?

Eagan-based Materials Processing Corp. says it recycles 95.3 percent of what it collects, and sends the remaining 4.7 percent to renewable-energy power plants.

• Steel goes into construction materials

• Copper goes into new electronics wiring

• Plastic casings get repurposed into paintbrush handles and flowerpots

• Shrink wrap is turned into outdoor deck materials

• Glass is recycled into new glass

• Still-viable laptops, televisions and accessories are stripped of personal information and resold at its Reboot retail store

• Just 18 percent of Americans recycled their e-waste in 2007.

• 65.7 million desktop computers and 99 million televisions are waiting to get recycled nationwide.

• Of the 140 million cell phones taken out of use in 2007, a mere 14 million were recycled.

To find out where to recycle electronics in Minnesota:

www.pca.state.mn.us