Electronic technology has become an indispensable part of our daily lives, but what do you do with the tech once it stops working? A former garbageman has warned against throwing it in the trash, instead suggesting people find suitable ways to recycle it.
In a post on Reddit, one person asked for advice on what to do with an old Chromebook that they had used during the pandemic for schoolwork. “Should I just throw this in the garbage?” the original poster wrote.
The poster received numerous comments urging them to look into local recycling programs or return it to the school. “OP should return this. Our surplus gets sold off, which helps fund future tech purchases,” one commenter wrote.
“Do not throw it out,” wrote the former garbage collector before explaining that the batteries are a potential fire hazard when they get compacted in the truck.
Throwing e-waste in the garbage contributes to pollution, as waste often spills out of landfills and pollutes nearby areas. Additionally, it is a huge waste of resources. Recycling e-waste ensures that some of the materials are reused in other products, reducing the waste of valuable resources and stopping new materials from needing to be extracted from the Earth. This helps promote a circular economy that is more sustainable and resource-efficient.
Recycling e-waste is also crucial for environmental and health reasons. E-waste contains hazardous substances, like lead, mercury, and cadmium, that can leach into soil and water if not properly disposed of.
This can lead to higher levels of hazardous materials in the soil that pose a substantial risk to our health. Exposure to high levels of these substances is linked to neurological and respiratory issues, greater vulnerability to infection, and an increased risk of chronic disease, with children being especially susceptible, as per the World Health Organization.
There are lots of ways to recycle e-waste, including taking it to designated recycling centers or taking part in take-back programs offered by several large retailers. Several major brands also offer store credit in exchange for your old electronics, including Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, and Dell.
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