October 27, 2022
What You Can Do About E-Waste
Damir Sarsekeyev
The Problem
Electronic waste is a collection of old or unused electronics such as televisions, phones, computers, or home appliances. Many people will throw away old technology if unable to donate or sell it for a lower price, which has caused a big problem in landfills globally. Just in the year of 2022, the International Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) estimates that 5.3 billion phones will be thrown out in the garbage. With global shortages and concerns over environmental factors, mining for some of the valuable key resources for electronics is becoming more challenging. Common metals such as copper, lithium, nickel, and gold are not as easily obtained with the demand constantly increasing while geopolitical events make this even harder than usual.
How Are Companies Responding?
Apple and Microsoft are leading the industry by now offering trade-in or recycling programs for customers in most countries around the world. While Apple is offering store credit or gift cards for trade-ins, they complete the job of recycling the device to use it towards new products in the future. Microsoft is taking a similar path by partnering with several different recycling organizations around the world to accept any Microsoft devices and even packaging. While many companies address the issue, some are looking at this problem as an opportunity, fully dedicated to recycling electronics and repurposing for part repairs or breaking down materials.
Mining?
With raw material mining more expensive due to shortages, scientists are exploring the idea of mining e-waste by working out better recycling of electronics to reuse precious materials to battle this problem. The Royal Society of Chemistry has recently launched a campaign promoting the idea of reusing e-waste to use materials for new electronics, while also pointing out the low percentage of properly recycled electronics. As director general Pascal Leroy of WEEE said, “People tend not to realize that all these seemingly insignificant items have a lot of value and together at a global level represent massive volumes”.
What We Can Do for $$
The idea of reusing precious materials properly is beneficial for everyone by selling or donating unused devices for cash. Here in the United Kingdom, the best place to not only get your money’s worth but a facility that has won awards for its notable recycling service is MusicMagpie. When electronics are properly recycled the harmful ingredients are disposed of responsibly, and intact parts are eventually mined again and reused to build something new. These steps are all part of the journey to a low-carbon and green environment to battle this harmful flood of chemical harm toward the planet and humans. According to BBC, the average household in the UK has up £200 of potential cash to receive from recycling useless technology. What’s the point of holding onto older phones or computers if it’s not given away, might as well make some money knowing it will help the planet.
Conclusion:
According to the United Nations, roughly 17% of the planet’s e-waste is recycled correctly, knowing that, we all need to do our part to contribute towards a healthier future. Now that you have been informed about some of the current issues with acquiring the materials for electronics, try to be mindful of your purchasing behaviors. This can be done by, repairing phones or waiting to upgrade to a new phone, passing down your older phone to family or friends, selling unneeded tech, and lastly, if you are going to throw any electronics out try your best to bring it to an authorized recycling store.