Electronic waste material (also known as e-waste matter) is discarded electrical or electronic devices. Improper disposal and processing of this waste can lead to adverse human and environmental damages.

There are now more than mobile phones than the number of people effectually the world (source). With our tendency to just throw abroad products and continually buy new ones, this creates a global due east-waste trouble.

E-Waste material's Impact on the Environment

E-waste landfill filled with old computers
Image by George Hotelling from Canton, MI, United States (E-waste matter recycling in Ann Arbor) [CC Past-SA two.0], via Wikimedia Eatables

The environmental hazards caused by improper disposal of e-waste product tin exist briefly described equally follows:

  1.  Air Pollution:Burning of wires release hydrocarbons in the atmosphere.
  2.  Water Pollution:Electronic devices comprise toxic metals like mercury, lead and lithium, which when disposed of improperly, mixes with ponds, lakes and groundwater. Communities that straight depend on these sources of water then consume it unknowingly. These heavy metals are hazardous for all forms of living beings.
  3.  Soil Pollution: These heavy metals enter the food chain as they are absorbed by plants from the soil. These metals not only destroy the plants, but also are and then consumed past other living beings, leading to a poisonous food chain.

Now, let'south get into some tips and ways that you can reduce e-waste matter.

Means to Reduce E-Waste product and its Hazards

The post-obit are ten ways to adjourn these environmental hazards, reduce electronic waste, and save our planet:

ane. Sell old Electronics

One of the best and easiest methods of reducing the electronic waste footprint is to sell or donate your electronic gadgets to those in need.

If you are planning on selling, yous should be able to easily notice a heir-apparent as they will take the opportunity to purchase the aforementioned product at a much lower price than if it were new. You go easy money while the buyer gets a overnice gadget; a win-win for both.

A good place to sell former electronics (without any fees) is Craigslist. Yous can sell unwanted devices by posting a local advertisement and meeting up with potential buyers.

Another website you can use to sell quondam devices is Kijiji, which works like to Craigslist. Kijiji is basically the Canadian version of Craigslist.

ii. Donate old Electronics

Donating electronics to the needy is besides a practice followed past many. It not only gives the gadget a new life, but likewise makes you experience good about yourself.

If you make up one's mind to donate your old electronic devices when y'all don't need them anymore, make certain to clear any data (like data in your laptop hard drive) earlier you donate it.

To acquire more about donating gadgets safely and correctly, check out this EPA guide on altruistic and recycling electronics.

3. Recycle and Dispose of E-Waste product Properly

Improperly disposed due east-waste is condign more and more hazardous, especially every bit the sheer book of our east-waste increases.

For this reason, large brands like Apple tree, Samsung, and other companies have started giving options to its customers to recycle quondam electronics. Sometimes, you may even get financial bounty for recycling your old devices!

Recycling sometime electronics allows the expensive electronic parts inside to be reused. This can save a lot of free energy and reduce the need for mining of new raw resource, or manufacturing new parts.

Y'all can find electronic recycling programs in your local area past doing a Google search for "recycle electronics" and your city or expanse name.

iv. Maintain your Electronics

I of the best ways to save your money and reduce east-waste product is to keep your electronics well-maintained, to increase its life. Hither are some tips to get you lot started.

Maintaining a Laptop or Computer:

  • Make sure your PC'south hard drive or SSD doesn't become completely full. This allows it to go on running smoothly and quickly for a long time.
  • Make clean your figurer often so that information technology doesn't get dirty.
  • Whenever possible, effort non to overcharge your bombardment. This means unplugging your chargerbefore your laptop hits 100%, which volition improve your bombardment'due south overall lifespan.

Maintaining a Mobile Phone:

  • Use a phone case and screen protector so that your phone doesn't break when you drop it.
  • Similarly to laptops, keep your device make clean and don't always fully charge your battery if y'all don't need to (This improves overall bombardment lifespan).

By maintaining your electronics, you save money on having to buy new gadgets when your old ones pause downward. Y'all're also keeping electronics out of landfills past increasing the full lifespan of your electronic devices.

5. Repurpose or Re-evaluate

Always think twice before upgrading or buying a new electronic device:

  1. Practise you lot actually need this new device?
  2. Is it a need, or more than of a want?
  3. Will it add value to your personal or professional life in any way?

If you answered "no" to whatever of the above questions, and then information technology might be best to re-evaluate your thoughts, and avoid ownership it.

To add together on to this, yous can repurpose old electronics that aren't useful anymore for their intended utilize.

For example: An former mobile telephone tin can piece of work as an mp3 player or even as a GPS device. Don't throw it away, think wisely!

6. Store Data Online

Cloud services are much meliorate than you would recollect in reducing your environmental impact.

By storing information online, you get to access your data from anywhere around the world, without the need to carry a storage device at all times. Cloud storage also gives you a large amount of storage, for free or for very cheap.

This not just offers convenience to you, but reduces the need for manufacturing of new storage devices.

This indirectly reduces your carbon footprint and curbs the amount of generated east-waste matter.

vii. Purchase Energy Star Rated Electronics

Investing in ecology friendly electronics take interdependent benefits.

A high Free energy Star rated device consumes less free energy, reducing your electricity bill significantly. In addition, because less energy is required, it keeps a cheque on resources (energy) depletion by fugitive over- utilization. It indirectly saves the surroundings by reducing the load on resources' (energy) extraction and depletion.

When purchasing, wait for electronics and appliances with the Free energy Star logo:

Energy Star logo

viii. Learn to Repair Broken Electronics at Home

Some brands of modern electronic devices are but meant to terminal for a few years nether regular use before failing.

However, along with maintaining your electronic devices by cleaning them regularly to assist them final for longer, yous could besides learn how to set hardware problems on your device.

Online sites such as iFixit provide free, step-by-step guides for fixing mutual problems across hundreds of different device models, forth with pictures of the device and of the required tools for each repair job.

Nowadays, there are also many Youtube videos education you how to set up a broken laptop or do a phone screen replacement yourself. Many times, all it takes is a flake of time and patience before your gadget is good as new!

By learning to repair your electronics at home, you will proceeds more than detailed knowledge and understanding of the hardware of your device.

You'll also learn useful repair skills, and avoid having to travel to a professional repair shop and pay expensive fees for other people to fix your device.

Best of all, you will exist able to go on using your device for longer and won't have to throw it away.

ix. Rent Electronic Equipment instead of Ownership

If y'all are planning to use a specific piece of electronic equipment for a express period of time, information technology would be a ameliorate idea to rent it instead of buying it.

For example, if yous sparingly use industrial weighing scales for measuring, say, the weight of the electronic waste, rent the scales instead of ownership them.

Renting equipment is both a cost-effective and environmentally friendly option, as you only have to pay for the elapsing you rent rather than ownership the equipment outright and so letting it rot away later on one or 2 uses.

10. Spread the Word!

Permit's say you lot've been true-blue in your quest to reduce electronic waste. You're buying less unnecessary electronics and donating your outdated ones, among other things.

You're doing your part, and that's great! At present, information technology'due south time to share your cognition with other folks who may be less aware most the hazards of e-waste matter.

Next time you come across a family member improperly disposing of an old figurer or ownership a new smartphone for no reason, have the time and share your noesis on the detrimental effect of their actions.

Most importantly, give those people a reason to human action on your communication. For instance, if you know of a good place nearby to donate former electronics, brand certain to allow them know!

One honest discussion virtually responsible ways to reduce e-waste matter has the potential to make a measurable difference both in your community and on a global scale.

Take Activeness

Now yous've seen ten ways to reduce the environmental effects of e-waste. It's your plough to start taking action.

We all need to take a stand to prevent the devastation of the environs we live in.

Near the Author: Rebecca Pryor

Rebecca Pryor is managing director of A&A Skip Hire –1 of N London'south leading provider of domestic and commercial skips.

Other Contributors:

  • Tip eight (Repair Broken Electronics) was contributed by Cloe from CloeWrites.
  • Tip 9 (Hire Electronic Equipment) was contributed by Kevin from Scalesu.com.
  • Tip 10 (Spread the Discussion) was contributed by John from AllGreenRecycling.com.

Edited Past: Hugh

Last Updated 2022-02-12