These days, it’s hard to imagine a world without electronics. It seems that we use electronic devices to do just about everything: cook our food, do our hair, even brush our teeth. And that’s all without even touching the entertainment sector.
But with all of these fantastic new and prevalent products comes electronics waste. Newtech Recycling is dedicated to protecting the world from e-waste, including through education. We believe that, the more people learn more about e-waste and the global cost of electronic waste, the better we can work together to responsibly discard our old electronic products.
What Is E-Waste and Why Is it Important?
Ever wonder what to do with old cables? What about your mobile phones that become obsolete when you get the new version? Your old circuit boards certainly aren’t doing anyone any good, so what now?
All of these products are examples of e-waste. E-waste is any electronic product that’s no longer needed or wanted, whether it’s because something new was purchased or simply because it stopped working.
While it’s normal for products to run their course and exceed their lifespans, old electronics pose a serious issue of how to best dispose of them.
If you’re still learning about e-waste, you’ve come to the right place. We have a few quick facts for you that can help you understand and contribute to a bigger solution.
1. E-Waste Can Harbor Toxic Materials
Many of today’s electronics use some kind of toxic material, which can include:
- Cadmium
- Lead
- Mercury
- Beryllium
When these materials are used in electronics for everyday life, they’re okay. But fast-growing e-waste often gets stored in landfills where the materials can dissolve and leave traces of toxic materials in nature.
This is called leaching.
2. Leaching Can Poison Water
You’ve probably never even considered the effects of e-waste on water – that’s okay; not many people have.
When leaching happens under landfills with e-waste, the toxic waste materials that build up can leak into the water found underground.
3. Recycling Saves Energy
USInsuranceAgents Sustainability Expert Imani Francies said “The energy saved by recycling e-waste is enough to power thousands of households for an entire year.While most people think of recycling as a time and energy-intensive process, it can really save both energy and time.”
Did you know that recycling one million laptops saves enough energy to power 3,600 homes per year?
That statistic may sound insane, but it’s true. Simply by recycling electronics, not only can we minimize e-waste, but we can save energy and minimize costs.
4. E-Waste Ends Up in Other Countries
When cellphones and stereos go to die, they aren’t recycled like we would all prefer. Instead, they go into landfills – that much we already know.
But did you know that most of our landfills are located in Asia and Africa?
Our harmful waste is not just harming our own country; it’s harming the world.
5. Tons of E-Waste Is Thrown Out Each Year
Eoin Piggott, Business Development Associate at Wisetek, said “The amount of e-waste in the world is growing at an alarming rate. According to a report published by the United Nations, only 17.4% of e-waste created in 2019 was actually recycled, with the United States creating 6.92 million tons of e-waste in the same year.”
That was just 2019.
There are quite literally tons of electronic waste discarded and thrown away every single year. To date in 2021, there have been over 33 million tons of e-waste thrown out – and counting – around the world.
6. A Very Small Amount of E-Waste is Currently Recycled
Only about 12.5 percent of all e-waste is currently being recycled. That leaves the rest of these materials in landfills, which only continue to build up and release more toxins into nature.
Some electronics are burned and melted down in incinerators, but this method also releases toxins into the air.
7. E-Waste Makes Up Most Toxic Waste
In a striking statistic, e-waste accounts for about 70 percent of all toxic waste in the world. Considering how much toxic waste exists around the globe, this is a stunning realization to come to, and it happens due to the way we discard old electronics.
8. E-Waste is Contributing to the Rapid Price Rise in Metals
Many technologies use rare metals in their products, but the irresponsible discarding of these products is leading to a rise in the cost of these metals.
For every one million cell phones thrown out, there are about 250 kg of silver, 24 kg of gold, and 9 tons of copper that could have been recovered.
9. E-Waste Is Worth Billions
Experts estimate that e-waste is worth at least $62.5 billion. That amount is larger than the gross domestic product of most countries in the world.
10. E-Waste Is Expected to Double
According to the World Economic Forum, e-waste is expected to double and will continue to grow exponentially if nothing is done to mitigate the issue.
That is, if nothing changes in the way we dispose of electronic waste, it will simply continue to pile up and poison the world around us.
Tucker Anderson, Founder and Owner of Black Diamond Junk Removal, says that “The amount of e-waste that is created globally is expected to double between 2014 and 2030.”
11. All Electronics Are Recyclable
Austin Dowse, CEO at Aimvein, said “In the United States, over 70% of people throw away their cell phones immediately after buying a new one even though they could be repaired. Whereas, only 20 percent of that material was recycled or composted.”
Almost every form of electronics has at least one recyclable, salvageable part to it. Even server equipment recycling is vital.
Most electronics include materials like glass, metals, and plastic – all of which we can collect and repurpose. In truth, there are far too many electronics being thrown away that still have value to them.
Newtech Recycling
Electronic devices are more ubiquitous today than ever before, both in the workplace and at home. Cell phones, computers, cords and cables, copy, fax, and print machines, the list goes on and on; which of these devices will eventually need to be recycled? The answer, for anyone who cares about the environment, the economy, or human health, is “all of them.”
That’s a lot of work. Newtech Recycling exists to make the process easier for everyone. Let’s work together to strive for a better future. Contact Newtech Recycling today.