E-waste is the term given to those electronic gadgets which are no longer useful or about to reach the end. According to a report by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), approximately 60 million metric tons of such wastage enters into the landfills annually and creates dangerous hazards to life on earth. That is the reason the recycling of electronic items is a great urgency for the present time.
Re-usage of e-waste not only helps manufacturers obtain desired material on time without seeking other alternatives but also generates income for business owners and small-scale industries. The following reasons will help you understand more clearly why the right disposal of electronics is so important for the earth and human beings.
Decrease the harmful effects of toxic substances
The electrical junk contains items that comprise toxic substances like lead, mercury, chromium, etc. They not only pollute the air, water, and soil but also create a risk to the life of all living entities. When heavy material is not disposed of properly, they cause serious health issues such as endocrine disruption, cancer, etc. A proper recycling process decreases such risks.
Reusing precious metals
For superior conductivity and resistance to oxidation, different types of metals are used in electronic products. That is why electronic junk comprises a huge amount of recoverable precious metals and alloys. Their proper recycling helps to increase the number of original metals which can be used for different purposes. According to the experts at CJDECycling.com, it is possible to save more energy and enhance productivity by recovering metals from e-waste than mining new ones. For instance, aluminum helps to save 95%, zinc 60%, lead 65%, steel 74%, and copper 85% energy in the recycling process. It also reduces time and human labor that would be otherwise required to mine the ores from the earth.
Reduce the greenhouse gas effect
Due to improper management and inapt disposing of old electrical items, manufacturers have to reproduce these items. It not only takes extra labor, energy, and time but also increases greenhouse gas effects. Due to this, the eminent environmental organizations worldwide encourage and reward the manufacturers for building products that can be recycled or manufactured easily.
More employment opportunities
Another positive effect of E-waste recycling is that it helps create more employment opportunities in society. As many recycling units will be established so the number of employed people will increase and proper utilization of human power will become possible. By appropriate decomposition and reuse of electric resources, the wastage will be minimized and national revenue will increase.
Safety from the theft of personal data
A huge amount of e-waste encompasses devices that are not in a very bad working condition. Most of the people throw them out as they get outdated or no longer in fashion. However, getting rid of your appliances in such a way can lead to data security breaches or losing your personal information. Criminals and culprits can misuse this confidential digital information for any unlawful activities.
It is better to make a plan on how to dispose or recycle your IT equipments before they reach the end of life. When you wish to do so, here are some options that you can consider:
- Resell your old device to a wholesaler instead of disposing of it improperly.
- Recover the components and accessories for reuse.
- Give the old electric items to a recycling plant for proper recycling.
Reusing electronic items and their parts is not only environmentally friendly but also enhances the life span of gadgets. It creates resources for different industries, provides new job opportunities, and enhances gross national income (GNI). All these factors together stabilize the economy. Therefore, including such a strategy in your decomposition plans can be beneficial for everyone.
