With the prevalence of electronic devices, handheld technology, and almost everything becoming digital these days, it may come as no surprise that our world is being saturated with an increased amount of electronic pollution. However, you may not even know what exactly electronic pollution is, or how to avoid contributing to the problem.
Simply put, electronic pollution is the name given to the increased amount of pollution that comes from the vast amount of discarded electronics across the globe.
While items that are able to be reused, resold, salvaged, or even recycled are classified as e-waste, the issues really get bad when these materials that otherwise can be recycled are poorly processed and end up being treated as waste material. The buildup of e-waste and electronic pollution has drastically adverse effects on not only the health of humans but the environment, as well.
Scraps of electronic components that make up a lot of electronic pollution (such as CPUs) are full of components that are harmful to humans and the environment. Some of these materials include lead, brominated flame retardants, and beryllium. It is important that these materials are taken care of properly, otherwise, this e-waste can make its way to landfills and incinerators where their debris can cause serious issues in the local communities, as well as on the global level.
E-waste Issues
Electronic pollution can be reduced, or at least contained by taking the proper precautions to making sure that you are properly disposing of all of your electronic items. This means making sure that you are taking some of your e-waste to recycling centers that are equipped to dealing with the recycling of these items. Of course, you can also help reduce electronic pollution by finding other ways to re-use electronics before they find their way to a landfill.
This post was written by Steven Elia Co-Founder and Recycling Director at eCycle Florida. eCycle Florida is an R2 Certified electronics recycling company in the state of Florida. Our processes and procedures are dedicated to the proper destruction and recycling of your electronics. eCycle Florida is your go-to for electronic recycling in Tampa.