Electronics are not going to last for a lifetime and this is a well-known fact for anyone. There comes a time when you have to discard your old electronic items. These electronic items have a name- “e-waste recycling.” There are some people who just discard their old electronic goods and move on and then there are some who recycle them. Now, what is e-waste recycling? How can a person recycle electronic items? What is the process and how does it work?
Well, in this blog you are going to learn everything about e-waste recycling.
What is e-waste recycling?
First of all why do people call this e-waste recycling? E-waste stands for electronic waste. The electronic items that can’t be used in any other possible way are thrown away usually. These are also termed e-scraps. Electronic goods contain toxic materials in them and if they are not disposed of in a proper way, they will release hazardous substances which can pollute and affect the air altogether.
This is where e-waste recycling will help. The electronic waste is carefully collected and recycled. Then the electronic waste will be used in other ways. There will be a secure data destruction process that will ensure that all the data present in the drives is erased.
.There are so many appliances that will come under e-waste. Starting from the kitchen appliances like microwave ovens, electric cookers to ACs, TVs, washing machines and tech items like computers, laptops, tablets, etc. All of these electronic items play a rather important role in our life and are used widely in almost all households.
However, these electronic items are not something that is going to last for a lifetime. They have a very short yet useful lifespan and needs to be discarded in a proper way when you are done using them. equipment recycling has evolved as one of the most talked-about topics out there because of its benefits. It is helping in keeping the environment safe for all the living beings on earth.
However, e-waste itself is so bad. This is a threat to nature and human beings. We are going to see the reasons why e-waste is considered a threat in the next section.
What makes e-waste so bad?
- Affects Air: The air is contaminated pretty badly when electronics are disposed of in the wrong manner. There are so many people who just dump e-waste in the dustbins from where the waste is taken to the city outskirts and burned. When electronics are burned, they release toxic gases which will affect the entire environment and pollute the air. These materials release fine particles of toxins into the air which will spread across some thousands of miles. This can cause cancer and various other chronic diseases. These particles will not only affect humans but also the animals and there are some species that are at the brink of extinction because of this air pollution.
- Damages Soil: When the e-waste is dumped illegally into landfills, they seep into the ground and cause soil pollution. Apart from this when the big electronic parts are burned, there are chances for the parts to get settled in the ground and affect the soil. Once these parts seep into the soil, they damage the entire area and also spread to some more distance too. This can affect the quality of soil and won’t be suitable for farming at all.
- Harms Water: No, the damage isn’t going to stop with soil, it also passes on to the water too. As said above, the e-waste will seep into the ground and will affect the groundwater too. The groundwater will be contaminated with toxins for quite a long time. The groundwater eventually meets with ponds, rivers and damage that water too. The acidification process will affect the water and kills marine organisms. It will also harm the people, animals who are consuming the water
- Affects Human: Electronic products are filled with different types of chemicals like zinc, lead, copper, etc. These chemicals leave hazardous substances in the air which will damage our organs completely. In China, there is a town named Guiyu, where many residents are affected with different digestive issues, neurological problems, bone and respiratory issues. Guiyu is the place where e-waste is deposited from all over China and some other countries in the world too. The residents in that area are affected with some diseases that are going to keep affecting them for their lifetime.
What can we do?
It is important for consumers to think about this. By discarding your electronic waste without any proper precautions, you are not only putting yourself at risk, but the future generations are also going to get affected too and it is not something that anyone would want right. It is time for consumers to take a step and make this world a better and safer place to live. Here are some of the things that you can do to reduce e-waste.
Reduce the e-waste: There are three R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. First, let us talk about Reduce. If you follow this step correctly, then there is no need for reuse or equipment recycling. You know the electronics market is growing rapidly right now and every other day one new gadget comes into the market. These gadgets are good and have some amazing features but before you purchase them, think about whether you need them or not in the first place. If you already have a product that is working perfectly, then what is the use of replacing it. Remember that upgrading to the latest device isn’t always necessary.
Reuse: If you have electronics that can be reused, then do it. You can always donate the working electronic goods to those who are in need. This will help in preventing e-waste.
Repair: Most of the people ignore the fact that the damaged electronics can be repaired and used again. It is always a better idea to repair the old electronics which are in good state and use them rather than going for new products. You can save money and protect the environment at the same time.
Recycle: If the electronic goods are beyond repairable, then it is better to go for recycling them. Equipment recycling will always help in the safe discarding of electronics. Metro Green will ensure that your data is secure data destruction and then recycle old electronic devices the e-waste with utmost care.
At our company, we strictly follow the rules and regulations set by the government before we proceed with the recycling process. We are a certified e-waste recycling company in the US and have the proper expertise to recycle old electronic devices. We offer a complete pickup service too. To know more, give us a call on +1-855-735-0868 or schedule your pickup directly from our website directly, it’s easy.