The world keeps changing and with it does its technology. With new and innovative items hitting the shelves and electronic stores every year, everything eventually gets upgraded and the old goes straight into the bin.
As great as it is to get the latest version of the PlayStation 5 or the Asus laptop; what’s not great is when people get rid of their old goods unethically, leading to some very harmful long-term effects to the environment and the population. A brief idea about this can be found here
This is why the emphasis is on making sure disposing of your personal items and business commodities are done properly and safely. There is not enough emphasis in the world towards this but when people find out what negative side- effects this has to not only them but everything around them, perhaps then, things will change.
This article will shine a light on some of these various problematic side-effects of dumping your electronic goods in landfills or the household garbage bins without thinking twice about the repercussions.
Dangerous Effects of Dumping Your Electronic in Bins
It is full of toxic waste: building a computer or a laptop takes a lot of big and small components that are made out of toxic elements such as Mercury or PVC. This report detailing how poisonous PVC is as a plastic, to the environment and other things around us, is just a hint of its dangers: https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/wp-content/uploads/legacy/Global/usa/report/2009/4/pvc-the-poison-plastic.html
Items such as the circuit board inside of a computer are typically manufactured out of crystal displays and batteries that have led inside of them. When exposed to these toxins, humans can suffer from reproductive and nervous system issues.
Did you know that iPhones have minerals such as europium, cerium and other dangerous elements inside of them? If ingested, they can be dangerous.
It is bad for the air: when you unethically dispose of any e-waste (electronic waste), you risk contaminating the air as well. This is because any waste materials when thrown in a tip, are usually burned to the ground, and this pollutes the air.
Burning those releases fine particles that can transfer onto various things such as clothes on people, and even get inhaled during breathing. Both humans and animals are placed at risk when this occurs.
When you consider recycling your computers and electronic items, not only does it help to curb the above-mentioned negative effects but it also makes you feel good about yourself, in that, you are helping towards a good cause of protecting the immediate environment you live in and which your kids will one day live in too.
There are, however, better ways to get rid of things. Below we mention some of the most common ones to help you do your bit for the environment.
How to Eliminate Your Business of Personal E-Waste properly
Refurbish your items: sometimes it may be the case where you can refurbish your broken or old laptop or desktop to match the capabilities of any other upgrade. When you are not a tech expert it can be easy to think that once something stops working, the only option you have is to get rid of it. However, this is never the case.
A lot of e-stores can help replace things such as the motherboard, fans or chips and batteries, in your item, to make it work like brand new again. This is not only a good way to upgrade it but it can also save you a lot of money from buying a brand new one again.
Recycle it: another great solution is to get it recycles. Much like a lot of household goods that we have can be recycled, like furniture, tools and more, when you take your e-waste to the recycling stores, you would be doing the right thing.
In Albuquerque for instance, some stores can help you with this, such as the Albuquerque computer & electronics recycling Co whether you are a consumer or a business and get your IT equipment recycled at a minimal cost. Once yours hits its end of life, the process, once you take it to them, is to wipe it off all its secure content and then take it to their recycling facilities to break it down to minute pieces which can then be used to manufacture other useful components.
Give it a go and see how much you can curb your carbon footprint on the earth. There is nothing you have to lose but have a lot to gain in doing the right thing for you, the environment and future generations.