It’s very easy to get obsessed with new and cool technology. The newest laptop, the latest gadgets, and gizmos are the things that we drool over. This can be a problem because it means upgrading your device much more frequently than you should. But there’s something else you need to think about our environment. Old electronics are piling up and not being recycled in staggering numbers. They’re all full of toxic material that is harmful to both animals and humans alike when they enter our soil or water systems.
The 6 Ways Electronics Recycling helps the Environment are:
1. Recycling Electronics is Good for the Environment
Electronic recycling prolongs the lives of our electronic devices and prevents them from ending up in landfills. When electronic waste is dumped into landfills, this can lead to toxins seeping into the ground and poisoning our groundwater.
2. Recycling Electronics Saves Energy
Electronics, when thrown into normal landfills, can create hazardous gases, like mercury vapor, that get released into the air. This is bad for the environment and bad for us. When mercury vapor is released into our atmosphere, it can travel thousands of miles and accumulate in water sources and our food supply.
3. Recycling Electronics Saves Resources
Mineral extraction of our natural resources is putting an incredible strain on the environment. This can have an incredibly negative impact on the ecosystem and may even threaten species with extinction. When electronics are recycled, it helps save those natural resources. Less energy is required to do this because the process has already been done once before.
4. Recycling Electronics Helps Us Conserve Water
Electronic waste recycling requires no water to run, unlike paper mills and aluminum foundries, which require tremendous amounts of water to continue operations and keep people employed. Less water is wasted during the recycling process when compared to other manufacturing methods.
5. Recycling Electronics Helps Save Greenhouses
Plants and flowers in greenhouses rely on a steady supply of food as well as oxygen. When electronic waste is recycled, this means less pollution of the atmosphere which allows for nature to thrive. This helps maintain the health of our environment by controlling the amount of air pollution that gets released into the atmosphere.
6. Recycling Electronics Helps Save the Oceans
Electronics Recycling Los Angeles manufacturers have been known to use toxic chemicals that can harm marine life and even human beings who consume these items from our oceans. Recycling of these electronics can reduce the amount of pollution in our oceans and help recover species that are on the decline.
What happens to my old electronics that don’t run anymore?
Every part of the product will be separated, and any material found inside can be recycled. If there are hazardous materials they will be handled in a way so they do not affect the environment. It is important to recycle your electronics because they contain materials that can harm the environment if they stay in landfills.
How long do electronic items last in the landfill?
The ideal lifespan for electronics is less than 15 years. Once an item has spent that time in the landfill, it can no longer be recycled or disposed of properly. When items only last somewhere between 5 to 7 years they are at risk of release into our landfills, causing them to be placed on top of one another, which causes methane gas to be released and increases the leaching of toxic chemicals into the surrounding soil.
How are E-Stewards certified for recycling?
E-Stewards represents more than 5,000 companies worldwide that have signed on to recycle their products responsibly by following certain environmental criteria and requirements. E-Stewards certified products are disassembled and separated from non-certified equipment.
What should I do if my electronic items are broken?
If your electronic item is broken, just toss it in the trash. If you can’t or don’t want to throw it away, have a qualified professional repair it. Large appliances, like microwaves and refrigerators, can be repaired at a local service center that is equipped to handle repairs on these items.
Conclusion
Recycling electronics is very important for the environment and society, as well as for the economy. Many of our electronic devices are originally made of a multitude of different minerals and chemicals that pollute our landfills and oceans. Recycling electronics helps ensure these products are not dumped in landfill, which not only can be dangerous to the environment but to us as well because it releases toxic chemicals into the soil, water, and atmosphere. Electronics recycling helps us save precious resources which in turn can have an incredible impact on our planet.
