The rapid pace of technological change has given us much to celebrate. From features that reinvent how we use technology to small quality of life additions that make it more endearing, technology has been ingrained in our everyday life. And while nobody can blame you for upgrading to the newest I-phone every other year, there is one small problem. Where does all our old technology end up?
Once everyone is done with ‘hand-me-downs’ a large portion of our old electronics end up in landfills. And we are not just talking about smartphones. From CRT monitors to refrigerators, only 20% of electronic waste is recycled around the world. You see the problem? The imbalance is filling up our landfills and we now have an acute shortage of landfills in the US. So, what can we do about it?
The answer is quite simple and is something that has been preached for the last decade: Recycle. As opposed to what many people think, your old electronics can be recycled and disposed properly. Even if it is no longer in a working condition. Still not sold on recycling your e-waste, here are a few more reasons to be a part of this movement.
- Raw Materials: Electronics are built with minerals. From copper to gold, electronics are a rich source for extracting minerals. However, only a small percentage of said minerals is actually extracted. The reason, there are very few electronics to extract them from. Since a large part of our e-waste end up in landfills, there is not much to work with.
- Managing solid waste: Landfill sites around the US were already reaching maximum capacity. Add the ever-increasing e-waste on top of that and we have a major crisis on our hands. Recycling e-waste will help to manage solid waste and reduce the burden on our landfills.
- Toxic Materials: We have all had more than a few accidents with our electronics. From blowing fuses to blowing smartphones, electronics can be dangerous. Behind that plastic back, there are a ton of chemicals that are toxic for the humans and the environment. If these chemicals were to leak, there is no telling what would happen to the person handling it or the environment at large. A recycling center has all the necessary tools to deal with such chemicals and is your best bet of disposing your old electronics without harming the environment.
- Lower the burden on landfills: Given our rate of waste production, the United States is on-course to run out of landfill space within 18-years. If things were to go as predicted, within a decade we will have a major environmental crisis on our hands. While just recycling e-waste will not solve the problem, it will significantly extend the time we have on our hands.
- Your privacy depends on it: If you have any idea about data destruction, you don’t need us to tell you that simply deleting your data will not clear all of it. Even after a reset, an electronic device contains traces of data that can be extracted and exploited by hackers and thieves. This can be especially devastating for businesses and can force them to shut down. Since a recycling center pulls the device apart to search for materials, you can rest easy that your data is safe.
- Create jobs at recycling plants: No matter the state of the economy, we can always do a few more jobs. Since recycling is a labor intensive task, a large recycling center can potentially create hundreds of jobs for the local people at all levels. You basically have a large collection of people who are committed to saving the environment one electronic at a time.
- Save energy: Much of what goes in a recycling center is scavenging for parts that can be used to build similar electronics. As a result, fewer raw materials need to be drawn from nature. This can induce a chain effect for environmental preservation and can reduce the environmental burden.
- Shrinking your digital carbon footprint: Abandoning all forms of technology is the best way to reduce digital carbon footprint. Since we cannot do that, the next best possible alternative is recycling e-waste. Once electronics have come to the end of their lives, it is in everyone’s best interest to send them to a recycling center. Companies get a near never-ending supply of raw materials, recycling centers generate jobs for the local people, and you get to do your part in protecting the environment.
We live in a digital world. Everything we do is done over the internet. Naturally, we need devices that can hook up to the internet. Smartphones, computers, laptops, tablets, and everything else, the average number of electronics in a household has never been this large. This is why electronic recycling is more important now than ever. Instead of sending your electronics to landfills, send them to recycling centers.
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