Electronic waste is a major issue in the United States, with Americans discarding over 9.4 million tons of electronics every year. Recycling just one million laptops can save energy equivalent to the power used by 3,657 homes in a year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Unfortunately, only 12.5% of e-waste is actually recycled. Recycling circuit boards can actually be more valuable than mining for ore as they contain 40-800 times more gold and 30-40 times more copper than one metric ton of ore. The EPA states that by recycling one million cell phones, 35,274 lbs of copper, 772 lbs of silver, 75 lbs of gold, and 33 lbs of palladium, a precious metal used in electrical contacts, surgical instruments and watch parts, can be recovered.