The United Nations revealed in 2012 that in the next 5 years, electronic waste would increase by 33% in the world which is roughly around 65.4 million tons in figures. This calculation is equivalent to the weight of 11 Great Pyramids of Giza. Considering the lifespan of a mobile phone is only around 1.5 years it isn’t surprising that the amount of e-waste is increasing at an alarming rate. However, the surprising fact is that the public knows very little about e-waste and how to dispose it properly. To make you more aware of e-waste and recycling, here are some points.
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What is e-Waste- Any kind of electronic or electrical device consisting of battery and circuit is considered to be e-waste. This includes mobile phones, laptops, TV, computers and lot of other objects.
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Where does it Go? – These are shifted to developing nations where they are sorted, processed and the recycled materials are either used for re-manufacturing or sold as scrap. They are sometimes burnt in the landfills which fills the atmosphere with harmful gases. For example, the US sends some amount of e-waste to prisons and there it is being processed.
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Why Dispose Properly- Dispose it properly because there are elements that could harm the environment. According to United Nations’ Solving the E-Waste Problem Initiative up to 60 harmful elements from the periodic table can be found in e-waste. These are also found in toxic chemicals and flame retardants. Some of the most harmful elements are mercury, beryllium and lead that are found in such electronic waste.
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Recycled Materials- The metals derived from the old phones can be used to manufacture other useful products. However, extracting it properly is extremely important. Manufacturing mobile phones can be done from these extracted metals. Also, stuff like metal plates, electronic items and even jewelry pieces can be made from those metals. Some organizations around the world extract metals and also help in providing end-to-end electronic asset management. It might not appear like a huge contribution, but in the grand scheme of themes it is pretty huge.
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Disposing at the Right Place- Use up the resources to find out about regional and local recycling programs so that you dispose the stuff responsibly. There are certain programs or initiatives which can help you find such places but if it is non-existent, you have to look at the programs offered by the manufacturer.
The dangers posed by e-waste is quite high and the recycling programs need to gear up towards reducing such harmful effect on environment and society in general. The people involved in such initiatives have to handle the question of how to and where to “sell my phone in Montreal” to guide people and particularly the youth regarding disposing off electronic waste properly. The alarming report produced by the United Nations can only be rendered insignificant in this way.
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