The cleanup following back-to-back hurricanes in Tampa Bay continues, and eSmart Recycling in Tampa is urging residents to recycle their damaged electronics instead of discarding them.

eSmart Recycling’s owner, Tony Selvaggio, is seeing an increased volume of electronics needing recycling. “We have the most random electronics you can imagine,” Selvaggio said about the items processed through his company.

The hurricanes have delayed Selvaggio’s pickups, and the number of electronics requiring recycling has surged. Over the past few weeks, he has encountered numerous hurricane-damaged devices. “When you start to see rusty things like that and these marks, they can be water damage related,” he explained.

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Despite the workload, Selvaggio is relieved that many people are choosing to recycle their electronics. According to the World Health Organization, e-waste is one of the fastest-growing solid waste streams globally.

Selvaggio emphasizes the environmental impact of recycling. “These items will either end up in landfills contaminating the soil, wasteful energy plants contaminating the air, or find their way to the water and contaminate it,” he said.

eSmart Recycling has 15 drop-off locations throughout Hillsborough County. After pickups, items are brought back to the warehouse for sorting. Salvageable computers are identified, and others are used for parts. “Even if a laptop like this got water damage, some components like the RAM or solid-state drive can be recoverable,” Selvaggio noted.

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The company offers a QR code for donors to track the recycling process of their items, encouraging more people to recycle their electronics. “Whatever it is—laptops, batteries, anything with a plug or switch—we can take it here,” Selvaggio said.

So far, eSmart Recycling has refurbished around 4,000 computers, which are distributed to students through partnerships with schools and community organizations.

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(Image credit: Daylina Miller/WUSF)