Why Is Recycling Electronics Important?

recycling-electronics
Electronic waste (also known as e-waste) is a growing problem in the world, and is predicted to get worse over the next decade. We all constantly buy the next and newest technology, but have you ever stopped to think about what happens to that old phone or computer that you’re replacing? Many of us have these items sitting in a box in the closet gathering dust (yes, you’re not alone in that) because we don’t know what to do with them. 

eWaste Sonoma is here to help you understand the impact of recycling electronics, and provide a responsible way of doing so. Here’s a few things you probably didn’t know about e-waste, so that you can be a bit more educated on the topic and help your world a little more.

Electronic Waste is Hazardous

The electronics sitting in that dusty box are full of materials that, if not recycled properly, can be a huge hazard to the environment. Chemicals and heavy metals such as: cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, and zinc are inside that old tech, and these do not belong in a landfill! When you simply throw away your old electronics, all of these hazardous materials will eventually leach into the soil before finding a way into the water systems. These substances are incredibly toxic and damage the plant and animal life (including us humans) around them. Inhaling, ingesting, or simply touching these toxins is enough to cause some negative effects on us.

So what’s the easiest way to avoid all of this toxicity finding its way into our communities?

Recycle your electronics properly.

Find an e-waste recycling center (like eWaste Sonoma!) to dispose of your electronics safely and responsibly. We ensure that nothing (yes, nothing) that goes through our hands ends up in a landfill. This keeps our soil, waters, and communities healthier and happier!

Recycling Electronics Leaves Metals Where They Belong

So you know the harmful effects of electronic waste when it’s not disposed of properly, but what other benefits are there to recycling your e-waste?

A major benefit to recycling electronics is that it reuses all the components in them, including the metals that are needed to make them function. When you recycle those metals, it means that there isn’t a need to mine for more. Mining contributes to the pollution of soils and waters, and the devegetation of large areas. This deprives communities of fertile lands and waterways, so keeping mining to a minimum is definitely a beneficial part of recycling your electronics!

By recycling electronics with a company like eWaste Sonoma, you are helping to preserve the natural world around us and reduce the need for mining. This keeps our amazing world looking (and feeling) beautiful.

What Now?

Taking responsibility for your electronics is a key part of helping the environment. You (yes, you) can have a huge impact on the world. By making the choice to use a responsible electronics recycling company like eWaste Sonoma, you are keeping your community and the natural world happy, healthy, and beautiful. So get that box of electronics out of the closet (because it certainly isn’t doing you any good there) and into our hands. We’ll take care of it for you in a safe way, ensuring nothing ends up in a landfill. Sustainability is at the core of what we do here at eWaste Sonoma, and we want to leave the world around us better than we found it. 

Sources:

Alabi, O.A., Adeoluwa, Y.M., Huo, X. et al. Environmental contamination and public health effects of electronic waste: an overview. J Environ Health Sci Engineer 19, 1209–1227 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40201-021-00654-5.

Fu-Rong Xiu, Yingying Qi, Fu-Shen Zhang. Recovery of metals from waste printed circuit boards by supercritical water pre-treatment combined with acid leaching process. Waste Management  33, 5 (2013), 1251-1257.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2013.01.023.

Olafisoye, O.B., Adefioye, T., Osibote, O.A. Heavy Metals Contamination of Water, Soil, and Plants around an Electronic Waste Dumpsite. Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 22, 1431-1439 (2013). https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Otolorin-Osibote-2/publication/281446780_Heavy_Metals_Contamination_of_Water_Soil_and_Plants_around_an_Electronic_Waste_Dumpsite/links/55e7fe0c08ae21d099c15e9c/Heavy-Metals-Contamination-of-Water-Soil-and-Plants-around-an-Electronic-Waste-Dumpsite.pdf