What E Waste Recycling is And Why It’s Important

E waste recycling

Every year in America, hundreds of thousands of tons of e waste is generated. In 2010, Americans threw away 255,000 tons of computers, 401,000 tons of monitors, 864,000 tons of televisions, and 17,200 tons of mobile devices. All of that was simply thrown away: but e waste recycling is far more sensible, environmentally-friendly, and safe way to deal with used electronics.

What is E Waste?

E waste is any kind of outdated or irreparably broken computer or electronic equipment that cannot be used or is not worth refurbishing to the owner. Examples include laptops, mobile phones, tablets, stereo systems, and television. Almost 100% of e waste can be recycled, but hardly any is. Currently, e waste recycling only deals with 12.5% of our national e waste.

Why is E Waste Recycling Important?

There are a number of good reasons to make sure that electronics are properly recycled:

  • They contain toxic materials These include things like lead and mercury, radioactive material, and chemical flame retardants. Dumping this stuff into the environment is not a great idea.
  • They have lots of raw materials we can use. For every million cell phones that are recycled, we can get about 33 pounds of palladium, 75 pounds of gold, 35,274 pounds of copper, and 772 pounds of silver. Again, without e waste recycling that?s just all going to waste.
  • It saves energy. The amount of electricity saved by recycling a million laptops, according to the EPA, is equivalent to the average electric power usage of 3,657 American homes. That a lot of wasted energy that could be reclaimed.
  • E waste movement needs to be controlled. E waste that is simply tossed away typically ends up going international. It winds up in countries where cheap labor is available, and these are the very places without good network equipment recycling or server recycling practices in place. The result is residents in some of the poorest areas of the world are exposed to a continuous load of toxins.
  • How Can I Do Electronics Recycling?

    It depends on the condition of the e waste. Things that still work can be donated after the information is scrubbed, and many people are happy to have refurbished electronics for reduced prices. If the electronics are in too poor shape to be refurbished, lots of electronics companies have buy back programs, and electronics stores will often be happy to take back used equipment.

    Electronics recycling is essential to protecting our environment, to protecting some of the world?s most vulnerable populations, and to reclaiming valuable materials that shouldn?t go to waste. If you?ve got used electronics you?re thinking of throwing away, look instead for an electronics waste disposal option that will let you dispose of your items through responsible e waste recycling.

    About: Eric

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