The benefits of recycling e-waste are easy to identify. We live in a world where almost everyone owns an electronic gadget. New electronic devices require a lot of energy and resources to create. Rapid changes and improvements in electronic gadgets mean older ones are discarded in landfills, and later become e-waste. As reported by the U.N., 6.3 million tons of e-waste is generated in the USA alone on an annual basis. Imagine the amount of energy and resources we have wasted by throwing them in the trash. With recycling, we could have easily claimed some form of this energy and resources. We reap what we sow. There will come a time when we will be forced to make recycling mandatory. Right now it is voluntary. We should stop sending our trash to underdeveloped countries. We should take the lead and recycle them ourselves. As this is our e-waste.
To conserve energy, and resources, and save space in landfills Electronic recycling becomes a necessity.
To better understand the positive impact of recycling e-waste, let us look at the following six benefits.
Benefits of Recycling E-Waste
1. Save Landfill Space.
Electronic waste is being thrown into landfills at an increasing rate each year. This problem is prevalent not only in the USA but is quickly spreading around the world. Throwing e-waste into landfills creates many environmental issues.
For example, the metals used in electronic gadgets such as iron, aluminium, and gold erode and release harmful toxins into the soil. Similarly, the plastic in these gadgets can release poisonous toxins into the soil. The toxins of this polluted soil kill all kinds of plants and microorganisms living on that land. It destroys their ecosystems and worsens the health of the environment. In the worst-case scenario, the poison spreads in the soil and eventually seeps into water sources.
When e-waste is recycled, it does not land in a landfill.
Instead, the components of electronics are separated and sorted. So they can help us in the long run. With a circular economy, you can expect your e-waste becomes a second source of energy and new products. Non-recyclable components are disposed of properly, so their harmful impact on the environment is reduced. At the same time, recoverable e-waste helps create new products. Keeping e-waste out of landfills reduces the space a landfill occupies.
2. Save Natural Resources.
As per studies, 98% of components in an electronic device are recyclable. Metals extracted through mining require much difficulty and effort. Apart from mining, the cost to refine metals and transform them into a usable form is also high. Through the extraction and reuse of metal from old electronic gadgets, the need to manufacture and refine raw metals decreases.
Wires and other components of electronic devices made of aluminium and copper can be reused multiple times. Reutilizing them in other electronic devices means little to no material goes to waste. Hence, the need to mine, extract and manufacture more natural resources reduces. So does e-waste. Electronics have many components of glass. For example, the screen of any PC, laptop, television, smartphone, or any other electronics is of high-quality glass. Manufacturing glass from scratch requires a lot of energy. Manufacturers reuse glass from recycling older electronics, so it does not go to waste. This also saves time and money in manufacturing new glass.
Also Read: How to Recycle E-Waste
3. Increase in Employment Opportunities!
Only experts can deal with e-waste properly. Distinguishing between reusable and non-reusable materials is a task that requires a sharp eye and a lot of product knowledge. There are a lot of jobs in the field of recycling. Thanks to the recycling industry. Responsible people working in recycling help us reduce the amount of e-waste. Increased education about electronics recycling means more people will recycle, and more job opportunities will be available.
By recycling e-waste, several people get a job. More jobs mean financial stability for our communities. The overall economy of the United States gets a boost. Eventually, it results in the prosperity of the whole nation.
4. Increases Affordability.
In many cases, people want to get rid of an electronic device not because it has stopped working, but because they want to buy one with the latest technology. If they give their old gadgets to charity or sell them in a second-hand shop, other people who cannot afford to buy new electronic devices can easily buy them. Always remember, you may not need an electronics, but it could be of the utmost importance to someone else!
Many schools in America accept spent electronic devices and utilize them. Hundreds of charities exist throughout the States that take e-waste from people and deliver them to different parts of the world for reuse. If donation is something you do not prefer then you can try recycling them. This way your electronics will no longer be a hazard to anyone. And they will not land in landfills. We pledge to keep e-waste away from landfills.
Recycling e-waste increases the opportunity for people who do not have access to such devices to use and own them.
5. Removes Data Appropriately.
Keeping data safe is becoming an increasingly important issue throughout the world. In most cases, people assume because they have deleted files from their computer, they no longer exist on the computer. But that is not always the case. Permanently removing data from a mobile phone and computer requires special software and proper strategy. Ensuring the appropriate removal of data is mandatory before recycling electronics. That is why we ensure our customers that we provide one of the best ITAD services in the region.
It is vital to recycle electronics through proper e-waste channels. We take extreme care of customer data. We follow appropriate steps to extract data, and then they remove it without leaving a trace.
6. Saves the Environment.
Earth provides millions of resources to us every day. And what do we do with them? We utilize those resources in such ways that it destroys and hurts the ecosystems of Earth. To prevent that from happening, recycle e-waste. Toxic and harmful elements do not become a hazard for us and our surroundings. By recycling e-waste we can accomplish that. Do not forget, we are a part of the environment, and all the toxic material coming out of the e-waste is harmful to us as well.
Consumers must be responsible and protect the environment by recycling e-waste. To save our future generations from an unhealthy environment or before completely losing natural habitats.
Conclusion
Environmentalists inform us about the importance of recycling e-waste and their consequences. The benefits of recycling e-waste are numerous. But saving the environment is the most important benefit.
Adopting a healthy habit of recycling e-waste by every individual makes a large difference in the longer run. No matter how small your effort may seem, recycling e-waste should be considered an absolute necessity!
