Important e-waste facts that should get you into action

E-waste is synonymous with electronic waste in its entirety. In basic terms, it refers to all types of electrical and electronic equipment that could enter or have already entered the waste stream.

E-waste is a very general term, but it is primarily considered to encompass computers, mobile phones, televisions, and many household appliances. This field is growing rapidly because the companies that produce this electronic and electrical equipment are increasing their production to meet demand as more and more countries move to the digital world.

However, e-waste poses a risk to human existence, to say the least, and therefore something needs to be done. It may not be a computer recycling company, but once you read the following facts, you will be prompted to take whatever little action you can:

Although this waste represents only 2% of the garbage in landfills in the United States, it is equivalent to more than 70% of all toxic waste. Electronic devices contain large amounts of lead, which can cause significant damage to the peripheral and central nervous systems, kidneys, and blood.

A large percentage of what you see labeled as e-waste is not actually e-waste, but entire electronic parts and equipment, which can be recycled or reused by other people and have a ready market.

Mobile phones and other electronic equipment contain precious metals such as silver and gold. What is even more shocking is that each year, US mobile phones download precious metals worth more than $ 60 million.

Americans dispose of nearly 85% of the electronics they no longer use in incinerators or landfills, which in turn release toxic substances into the atmosphere. When inhaled, these toxins cause damage to the body and result in health problems and high medical costs.

For every 1,000,000 cell phones that a recycling company recycles, it can recover 33 pounds of palladium, 75 pounds of gold, 772 pounds of silver, and more than 35,000 pounds of copper. These metals can be sold and / or used for other purposes.

· Recycling one million laptops can save energy equivalent to the electricity used by 3,657 homes in the United States each year. However, the electronic waste that recyclers can currently recycle is around 12.5%.

Each year, people and businesses dispose of 20 to 50 million metric tons of e-waste, contributing to poor health and damaging the environment.

Manufacturing on a monitor and computer consumes 1.5 tons of water, 48 pounds of chemicals, and more than 530 pounds of fossil fuel.

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