Electronic Waste: On The Disposing Of It
Collecting electronic waste
Electronic Waste: On The Disposing of It
(From wikipedia–Electronic waste or e-waste describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. Used electronics which are destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling or disposal are also considered e-waste. Informal processing of electronic waste in developing countries may cause serious health and pollution problems, as these countries have limited regulatory oversight of e-waste processing.)
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, recycling electronic waste — e.g., one million laptops can save the energy equivalent to the electricity used by an estimated 3,657 U.S. homes over the course of an entire year.
When desktop computers wind up in landfills, they ultimately release greenhouse gasses that can hurt the environment. But, by recycling one million desktop computers, the release of greenhouse gases equivalent to the annual emissions of 16,000 passenger cars can be prevented.
Even though e-waste accounts for only two percent of the trash in our nation’s landfills, it is responsible for more than 70 percent of the toxic waste. By recycling these devices responsibly, that toxic waste can be kept out of the landfills and out of the environment.
Today’s smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices have certain components that are made out of gold and/or silver. Every year, more than $60 million in gold and silver finds its way to the landfills just from Americans tossing out their old devices. In fact, simply by recycling one million cell phones, 35,274 lbs. of copper, 772 lbs. of silver, 75 lbs. of gold, and 33 lbs. of palladium can be recovered.
Although computers and laptops are among the most common devices targeted when talking about e-waste problems, the truth is that all electronics pose hazards if they aren’t disposed of properly. Approximately 20 percent of electronics are recycled, and the other 80 percent goes into landfills.
–from Three Rivers Commercial-News
http://www.threeriversnews.com/
