E is for E-waste

Do you have any old pieces of technology lying around at home? If you do bring it to the E-waste department near you.

What is E- waste some people ask? Well E-waste is types of technology that can be recycled. For example if you have a phone that still works at home but you don’t use it, you can take it into an E-waste department. They will fix the phone, order new parts if needed, erase the memory on the phone and then ship it back to the store so it can be reused again. If it doesn’t work, then they will recycle the phone for you. They will also recycle TV, computers, printers, printer cartridges and any other technology you have.

E-waste impacts the environment by releasing harmful toxins into the soil by sitting in the dump. Also the chemicals can affect the food in wildlife. According EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) more than 4.6 million tons of E-waste goes to landfills each year. There are several health issues which arise from E-waste and the toxins given off by technology. Studies say that computer monitors contain 6.3% lead. That can release into the atmosphere and the soil and surfaces can absorb the lead. When the lead enter the human body it can damage your brain and nerve system.

Life Lesson: Next time you need to throw out your computers think twice, and go to the E-waste department near you.