Electronics Recycling in the Technology Age We Live In
Electronics Recycling
in the Technology
Age We Live In Electronic items such as cell phones,
computers and TVs have revolutionized our lifestyle. Most
households in the U.S. own each of these three items, and often
times multiple numbers of them. While we love our technology, those
same technology products contain toxic substances and metals in
them. This can make disposing of them a big problem.
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Two ways to reduce the number of electronic
items in our landfills is to reuse and recycle them as much as
possible. Any electronics which are still able to be used, yet we
have personally outgrown, should be donated or sold to others who
can use them. Old cell phones can be donated to schools and civic
organizations for emergency calling use. Older computers and TVs
can be donated to people who are in need of them yet cannot afford
the newest models from the manufacturers. They can also be donated
to schools and organizations that need them but may not have the
budget for them.
Electronics recycling is an ever emerging industry which is just
now really beginning its development cycle. As more and
more electronics are produced and purchased, both by individuals
and corporations, the challenges facing the electronics
recycling industry are building. Where consumers used to
purchase a television and not replace it for 20 years, which is
no longer the case. With replacement happening more
frequently, as new technologies emerge, the need for electronics
recycling grows exponentially.
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In the past large corporations and government
agencies were at the forefront of electronics recycling because they
were the biggest users of a large volume of technology products.
When this equipment became obsolete or no longer useful they had to
find ways to recycle or dispose of it. Traditionally individuals
would store their old equipment or place it in the landfill.
The disposal of used electronics products is a
big topic of interest worldwide. These products are not safe to
dispose of in a landfill yet their sheer volume necessitates plans
and programs be put into place to deal with them in a safe manner.
 Professional electronic recycling companies
are able to extract the toxic substances such as lead, mercury,
asbestos, and cadmium, and dispose of them in the proper manner. At
the same time they optimize recycling by extracting the metals and
plastics for recycling and reuse.
There are currently approximately 500
electronic recycling companies in the U.S. They range in size from
small businesses to large corporations. As technology continues to
grow and change there will be more and more need for electronic
recycling programs and companies alike.
Some of the other electronics which are
commonly recycled include: florescent lamp ballasts, industrial
machinery and medical equipment.
No
matter how you look at it, electronics recycling plays a very vital
role in the technology age of today. We love our electronics and we
need to love our earth enough to keep those products out of
landfills when we are done with them.
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