Underneath most electronic devices, you’ll find a series of icons and symbols that reveal things like safety ratings, specifications, power requirements, legal certifications, and a host of other messages. One of these symbols is a crossed out trash can. If you’ve ever wondered, here’s where this symbol comes from and, more importantly, what it tells you.
This trash symbol is actually very important. This is a marking for e-waste that is included due to an important EU regulation, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2012. Devices bearing this label must be properly recycled and treated to help reduce hazardous e-waste. So obviously you can’t just throw them in the regular trash. It’s probably not hard to guess what this symbol means, but the bigger question might be how does it end up on products in the United States if it’s a European requirement?
There is no legal requirement in the United States to include a similar symbol, although several states have adopted similar e-waste recycling laws. But when you see that trash can symbol on a device in the United States, it’s because it was sold worldwide and the manufacturer didn’t produce separate labels for each market. The United States received the same version of the product as international countries.
What do you do with electronic devices marked with the trash can symbol?
Even if you live in an area that doesn’t require recycling, it’s still a good idea to follow these guidelines. Many modern electronic devices are considered hazardous e-waste because they contain rare or harmful materials that could contribute to environmental or health-related problems if discarded inappropriately. But when it comes to getting rid of old electronics, you can’t just throw them in the recycling bin.
The good news is that there are actually several options, starting with the most obvious: taking the device to an approved recycling center. Most retailers carry it, including Walmart and Best Buy. Some places will even trade you credits or cash back for items; Costco will trade you in for old electronics, just like Amazon, but keep in mind that Amazon’s tech trade-in program only applies to eligible products.
If you have devices that are no longer safe to use and you need to deal with them quickly, such as electronic devices with swollen batteries or exposed internal components, you should seek out specialized locations that will safely eliminate fire hazards. Some municipal landfills or waste centers can collect old electronics and dispose of them properly, but you’ll need to check this first. Having plenty of options means you’re never far from a viable drop-off center or location, so there’s really no excuse for tossing electronics in the trash.
What do these other symbols mean?
Depending on the type of electronic device and where it was produced and sold, various symbols may appear on the label. Some, like the WEEE directive’s dustbin symbol, may be universal, while others are specific to certain countries or regions. Since labels are generally small (even on larger electronic devices), the purpose of the symbols is to quickly and easily convey certain information relating to various safety or certification regulations.
The image above is the label found on the bottom of a Samsung laptop and reveals a dozen different symbols. Devices may display fewer or different symbols, but the symbols shown here are only a selection of the most common examples. From left to right, here is the meaning of the symbols:
- BC in a circle: California Energy Commission logo for battery charger energy efficiency
- Four arrows in a square: Taiwan recycling logo
- Number inside two semicircular arrows: related to hazardous substances, describing the length of time in years that a product should be safe (in this case, 10 years)
- FCC: Certified by the United States Federal Communications Commission
- CAE: Certified by the Eurasian Customs Union
- VCI in a square: Certified by the Japanese Voluntary Control Board for interference in noise levels
- THIS: European Union Compliance
- Arrow through a circle: New Zealand Regulatory Compliance Mark
- UL: Underwriters Laboratories safety mark
- CCC: Mandatory certificate from China
- WEEE Directive
- K.C.: South Korea Regulatory Compliance Mark
