Electronic Waste Recycling is Crucial for Future Generations.
The electronics industry is continuously making progress to the latest gadgets while consumers consistently try to keep up. Cell phones, tablets, video games, computers, and Smartphones evolve almost on a monthly basis. As consumers, we try to keep up. Finding the newest and best gadget and retiring the already outdated electronic devices we seemed to purchase all too recently.
Electronic waste (otherwise known as e-waste and/or e-scrap) like computers, monitors, printers, keyboards, televisions, and cell phones totals over 2 billion tons every year. All of these devices can be resource rather than a waste if more businesses and consumers would recycle them instead. Garbage and Recycling company Millennium Waste wants our customers to understand that certain materials can often be used as electronic waste recycling:
- Glass
- Precious Metals
- Copper
- Aluminum
- Plastic
Electronic waste is dangerous. Electronic items contain large amounts of lead and cadmium, mercury and other toxic substances. If these items are dumped into a landfill, these items decompose in the landfill and toxic substances either seep into the earth or are released into the air, eventually leaking into our water supply or spread across the environment by the rain that gives life to our crops. Human consumption of these substances is lethal. Every year, 50 million tons of electronic waste is produced. 30 million computers are discarded every year in the United States with Europe disposing 100 million phones annually. According to the EPA, only 15-20% of E-waste is recycled, with the remainder left for landfills. Electronics that are at the end of their lifespan may also be used as electronic waste recycling for their raw materials. Metals in these materials can be retrieved for future uses. By recycling these electronics, the intact natural resources are reserved. This prevents hazardous disposal (which would enable air and water pollution) from occurring. Furthermore, recycling also eliminates the need for fully manufacturing new products, which reduces the amount of greenhouse emissions. How to Recycle or Donate Used Electronics
- EPA
- Recycle Bank
- NCADV
- Verizon Wireless
- Cell Phones for Soldiers
- Call 2 Recycle
- Get Green
- Tech Forward
- Gazelle
- My Bone Yard
- Greener Gadgets
The continuous development of electronic gadgets creates a never ending production of e-waste. However, with resources enabling the public to recycle and reuse the gadgets themselves or the valuable resources embedded within them, e-waste can be dramatically reduced. From local retailers to government-supported programs, there are numerous options for electronic waste recycling.
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