Discarded, broken or outmoded electronics is known as e-waste. Let us know where it goes after people discard it.
Fastest Growing Waste
Due to the demand for the latest and the newest, the lifespan of computers and mobiles has decreased and it has made e-waste a growing concern. E-waste holds poisonous and toxic materials that prove detrimental and damaging for the environment and human health especially in developing countries.
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Landfills and Waterbodies
When individuals discard their electronics, scrapers capture this e-waste. They fling away that e-waste which is not worthwhile to them. That tossed e-waste goes to landfills where they leak out toxic chemicals. These chemicals not only severely affect the fertility of soil but also contaminate the water supply. Some of the e-waste goes to the water bodies that harm the marine life by making the water poisonous. Many of the chemicals in electronic devices leak out into local water sources and mix into food. Mercury, a heavy metal collects in fish, which become so toxic that a little consumption of them can be very injurious to human health.
Recycling of E-Waste
Some of the e-waste is recycled to make new things. You can bring your e-waste to recycling centers or get it collected by a Miami appliance pick up service. In these centers, they remove the toxic parts of the items and then recycle them in an electronic shredder. However, some unorganized recyclers burn this e-waste to get metals like copper, gold, aluminum
About 80% of e-waste goes to India, China, Vietnam, Nigeria, Ghana, and Pakistan. In these countries, recyclers sell metal scraps like gold and earn money. If we wish to have a clean environment that is from the poisonous hazards of this e-waste, we should give it to an organized e-waste management company.
Some Facts About E-Waste
Following are some interesting but alarming facts about e-waste:
1. Each year our world produces 40 million tons of e-waste.
2. America’s trash in landfills embodies 2% of e-waste. However, it is equal to 70 % of overall toxic waste.
3. Above 70% of the electronic devices in landfills are usable.
4. The largest e-waste in the world is in Guiyu, China.
5. A calculation says that recycling of 10,000 computers waste can give jobs to 296 people in a year.
6. It requires at least 48Ibs of chemicals, 1.5 tons of water, and 530 Ibs of fossil fuels to manufacture a computer along with a monitor.
7. The world generates about 20 to 50 million metric tons of e-waste every year.
8. According to forecasts, the amount of e-waste is expected to grow by 8% per year globally.
9. Alarmingly, only 12.5% of e-waste is recycled.
10. Lead can damage our nervous system and kidneys, which these electronics have.
11. Asia receives eighty percent of e-waste of the US and other countries.
12. About 300 million computers and one billion mobile phones are produced all over the world.
13. Poor e-waste recycling methods are causing air pollution, water pollution, and other health issues.
14. We can grab gold more than 17 tons of gold ore by recycling one metric ton of e-waste of personal computers.
So, it is vital to dispose of e-waste responsibly. You can contact a Miami Dade County trash pick up service who takes the environment seriously.
