A recent question posted to Reddit has ignited a discussion about a popular modern technology for some of today's top gadgets: OLED displays. While these screens certainly offer crisp visuals, some tech users are concerned about what happens when OLEDs reach the end of their life.
The post, shared to the r/Monitors subreddit, asks whether OLED, or organic light-emitting diode, displays are recyclable. Specifically, the original poster wanted to know what to do with one after burn-in. Burn-in happens when colored pixels get used a lot, eventually damaging them and resulting in inaccurate coloring on the screen.
"I'm just wondering if they can be recycled or in some years we are going to have tons of useless panels," said the OP.
One commenter replied that OLEDs are "e-waste now and don't give AF about the world in a hundred years when you are long gone. That's how they want it."
Electronic waste is a fast-growing waste stream. In fact, it's growing about five times faster than e-waste recycling, according to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. Unfortunately, it's not talked about as much as other highly recognized forms of pollution, such as plastic.
Still, e-waste has a huge impact on the economy. The raw materials included in e-waste in 2022 were valued at an estimated $91 billion, per the Global E-waste Monitor 2024. In addition to wasted valuable materials like lithium batteries, e-waste also results in wasted labor and production costs.
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The report also predicted that there will be about 180 billion pounds of e-waste generated in 2030, up from about 136 billion in 2022. Meanwhile, e-waste recycling could drop from 22.3% in 2022 to around 20% in 2030.
E-waste also has environmental repercussions. Improper disposal of electronics, such as OLED monitors, can cause chemicals within them to leak into soil and groundwater. This can accelerate the depletion of resources needed to make electronics and other products and harm plants, animals, and people who rely on healthy ecosystems.
Finding ways to recycle OLEDs and other electronics can preserve important materials, lower costs, and reduce pollution.
Some Reddit commenters suggest ways to reduce OLED e-waste. "I'd donate them to a less fortunate gamer if they aren't too burned in," one said.
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Giving me money back 💰 Another commenter suggested not giving up on an OLED because of burn-in: "An OLED will continue to function many thousands of hours after burn-in becomes noticeable and will still retain the great qualities of OLED."
The good news is that you can do your part to reduce e-waste by learning how to make money from old electronics. Many stores, including Amazon and Best Buy, have recycling programs to let you earn credit for used electronics.
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