Electronics recycling a knight in the fight against pollution!

Why is electronics recycling so important?

Acquisition and use of electronic products has been increasing over the past two decades in almost every home nationwide. This is happening not only in Poland, but all over the world. According to the EPA, the average American household owns 24 (or more) electronic devices. This phenomenon has changed the way we communicate with each other every day. At the moment you won’t meet a person on the street without a phone, what’s more, some even have several! This also raises an important question: how best to dispose of our electronic devices when we no longer need or use them?

Due to advances in technology, the growing popularity of electronic devices, and their affordability, the risk of serious environmental damage is increasing. This is because the more electronic waste that ends up in landfills, the greater the risk of toxins that can leach from cell phones, TVs and laptops into groundwater. This in turn causes health problems for humans and animals and pollutes the environment. Electronic waste also takes up valuable space in landfills.

Despite the environmental risks, large manufacturers continue to create new devices that consumers are eager to purchase. Fortunately, with the introduction of innovative technologies that produce even more sophisticated devices, new developments in electronics recycling are also emerging, indicating increasingly ingenious ways to protect our planet.
Recycling electronics can reduce landfill waste. It also saves energy, as there is a return on the labor and resources used to manufacture the equipment. In the larger picture, recycling protects virgin resources, such as gold and silver, used to make electronics, and the entire recycling process discourages manufacturers from using toxic materials.

1. recycling reduces electronic waste

Today’s U.S. landfills receive 85% of electronic products, which is 2% of the trash they contain. The latter figure may seem small, but 2% actually corresponds to 70% of the toxic waste represented. This should be a big incentive to protect our planet by recycling electronics. Despite this clear incentive, only 12.5% of electronic waste is recycled and represents the fastest growing waste stream in the US.

2. electronics recycling reduces pollution

Any conversation about recycling involves the pressing issue of pollution. Electronic devices in particular carry enormous environmental pollution from the materials used to make them. Many electronic devices contain lead, a potentially dangerous metal that can seep into the soil and eventually end up in groundwater in underground aquifers. Contamination in the electronics manufacturing process is also involved. Carbon emitted as electronic devices are manufactured has a disastrous impact on the environment. However, there are relevant electronics recycling programs where companies are encouraged to reduce pollution in the manufacturing process by using more environmentally friendly methods.

3. electronics recycling saves energy

One of the best ways electronics recycling contributes to protecting our planet is by saving energy. Let’s look at the facts: recycling 1 million laptops is equivalent to 3657 homes in terms of energy consumed per year. That’s a lot of energy! Manufacturing electronic products using raw materials requires energy. Energy is used, for example, to extract and process building blocks from fossil fuels in microprocessors. Recycling, however, is an important interference in their production process. When recycled materials are used to make electronic products instead of virgin raw materials, the energy savings can be enormous. Saving energy means there is less need for raw materials, which is important for the sustainability of the planet. As the use of electronics continues to grow, energy conservation should become a major focus of future recycling efforts.

4. electronics recycling protects virgin resources

Did you know that electronic devices can contain gold, silver and other valuable resources? Probably so. These source materials, known as primary resources, are crucial to the electronics manufacturing process. Increased demand for electronics around the world has meant that many virgin materials and resources are available in increasingly smaller quantities. Surprisingly, the manufacture of electronic devices can have a very detrimental effect on one very precious pristine resource that we all need to live: it is water. Did you know that about 1.5 tons of water is used to produce one computer and one monitor? When you consider the volume and scale of annual production of electronics, including computers, mobile devices, televisions, appliances and other items, it’s easy to see why conserving virgin resources through recycling is a great way to protect our planet.

5. electronics recycling discourages use of toxic materials

Electronics recycling is a process in which each aspect combines with and affects the others. In other words, the big-picture scenario to protect the planet by recycling electronics involves greater consumer demand for recycling in their own homes, as well as reused items, which in turn drives a greener manufacturing process.
A greener manufacturing process means that companies are using less toxic materials to produce electronics. Often this is because they are working on some incentive for the consumer that will help in the marketing creation of the product. This closing circle means that more and more companies are appreciating the benefits of participating in electronic recycling programs, and fewer toxic materials are entering the waste stream, thus protecting the Earth from many hazardous effects.