Climate change is an emerging issue and all of us have our contribution to it at a varying level. The plastics we throw away all the time, our domestic waste, the tons of toxins produced from industries polluting the air and water bodies, are piling up and creating so many problems for the natural environment. Most of the time we ignore E-Waste but it leaves diverse effects and has a big part in world pollution. It is about time that you start to dispose of old computers and play your role in saving the world.
Facts About Electronic Waste
Here are a few astonishing facts about electronic waste that will make you realise how big of a threat it is. Everything that we throw as waste is causing pollution and the useful raw material used in it is wasted.
E-Waste Makes 70% of the Toxic Waste
In the whole world, most of the toxic waste is produced by electronics and it leaves a negative impact on the well-being of our planet earth. The waste management system is far weaker to deal with the huge amount of waste produced. Most of the e-waste is sent to landfills to be buried underground or be burnt or melted in incarcerators. This can work for general waste but for toxic waste, it can make the situation worse.
20 – 50 million Metric Tons of E-Waste Dumped Every Year
Every year we dump a shocking amount of electronic waste all around the globe. These numbers are drastically increasing with time so we must look for alternatives to use them in a better way. 50 million metric tons only for the electronic waste is too much considering there is a lot more waste produced in other forms so it is better to recycle old computers.
Global E-Waste will Grow 39% by 2030
According to a report by the United Nations, the world will start producing 39% higher waste in 9 years and that is a large number. The pace at which we are dumping electronics to release toxins, polluting land, water, and even air is threatening to climate and life in general.
Smaller Equipment Creates Larger Waste
It might seem that the smaller equipment such as a mouse, USB, and data storage devices are harmless and will not cause many effects but that is not the case. You might have only one computer at your home but you can’t even count the smaller devices that will just go in the dump without due consideration. Such waste makes a larger portion of polluting waste than the one produced from the larger devices. It is always better to go for computer disposal instead of adding toxins to the environment.
75% E-Waste is Just Sitting in Homes, Doing Nothing
According to United Nations “Waste Management.”, 75% of the e-waste is not dumped, recycled or used, instead, it is just present in storage. There are many old computers and old phones in our houses that have no use but are still kept in the drawer. Most people are not sure what to do because they think it doesn’t hurt to keep it in there. If they are not traded or sent for old computer recycling, instead of thrown out in the waste, they end up causing harm to the environment.
E-Waste Has Traces of Precious Metals Like Gold and Silver
When circuit boards and electronic equipment are manufactures, there are a lot of metals used in the making including some precious ones such as gold and silver. When you throw your equipment in the waste, you are actually sending all of it to be dumped for no use. There are a lot of better ways to get them to use through computer disposal.
Computer Manufacture Takes a Lot of Energy
Precisely 530 pounds of fossil fuel, 49 pounds of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water is used to manufacture one single computer unit according to the Tides Center project called Electronics Take Back Coalition. When we dump our old electronics, we are actually throwing all these resources in the garbage.
What Role Can We Play?
There are a few solutions that we should go for. The first one is to try a trade-in and exchange your old computer with another one so that it can still be used and not dumped. Secondly, you can dispose of old computers or get them recycled to be used in a better way. All of the resources utilised in making it in the first place can’t be recovered but there is a lot of benefits associated with recycling.
How to Dispose of Old Computers?
It is important to keep your data security in mind before you decide to dispose of old computers. You can contact a reliable service provider such as CITD to safely get disposal of computer equipment. All you need to do is contact CITD and we will send our team to pick up the equipment. We also offer data destruction so that you can be satisfied of the security of your data. All the steps taken by the team are done according to the WEEE rules provided by the government.
Facts About Waste Recycle
Now that you know keeping your electronics is only causing harm to our environment, you should tend to recycle old computers and save the materials utilised in that. Here are a few facts about computer recycling that will encourage you to go for it instead of increasing the percentage of dumped e-waste.
- Expensive metals used in the making of electronics are recovered and used for other purposes such as jewelry making or the manufacture of other devices.
- Plastic recovered from e-waste can be used in the making of garden furniture or other products.
- Recycling circuit boards is more beneficial than mining ores.
- Reliable recycling firms can securely destroy your data to keep you safe.
Final Word
Most of us believe that all of our electronics belong to the dump after we are done using them. Mobile phones after being out of use are just kept at the back of the store. There are many old monitors, cups, and other smaller equipment that we don’t care to dispose of old computers or recycle, causing a toxic situation for the planet with safe hard drive shredding to keep your data secure.
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