Consumer Electronics - How Much Waste?
Consumer electronics run the gambit from personal computers and digital cameras, to MP3 players and televisions. What most do not think about when considering purchasing electronics is what they will do with them once they break or are no longer valuable. Every year, the United States alone generates almost 3 million tons of commodity and electronic waste (or e-waste) from the disposal of obsolete, defective or damaged devices. To get a better idea of where all that e-waste goes after it is thrown away and what it means to you and the environment, let’s do some investigation.
Nikons D60 Reviews is out on the market.
Before purchasing a digital camera, MP3 player or cordless phone, do you consider what you will do with it once it breaks down or no longer meets your needs? Consumer electronics generate almost 3 million tons of commodity and electronic waste (or e-waste) each year through the disposal of defective, damaged and obsolete devices. Let’s have a look at what effects e-waste has on your health and the environment and where it ends up once it is tossed out.
When electronics are handled and sorted properly, e-waste is a valuable source of secondary raw materials. However, they are a major contributor of toxins and carcinogens when clumsily treated. Fast paced technology changes, low initial cost and actual planned obsolescence have given way to a growing problem around the globe. Uncontrolled burning, disassembly without safety measures in place, and haphazard disposal practices are causing environmental and health problems.
Waste from consumer electronics contains PCBs, cadmium, mercury and lead. Those substances are highly toxic and carcinogenic. When carelessly handled, they can contaminate our food and water supply and enter our food chain. Burning of these products causes toxic fumes to be emitted. This furthers the depletion of the ozone, as well as creating the potential of inhalation by humans and animals. PCBs have been shown to cause cancer, while cadmium, lead and mercury affect the central nervous system, which can cause cell damage and renal failure.
Think about it the next time you indiscriminately throw away those cordless phone batteries or that camcorder that is older than your parents. Proper disposal through an e-waste recycler helps save our environment. With the potential for mercury, cadmium and lead leaching into the soil and contaminating the food chain, as well as PCB exposure causing cancer, some thoughtful consideration of use, reuse and disposal of consumer electronics is essential.
When considering buying that new cordless phone, don’t forget to also consider what you will do with it once its usefulness has been exceeded. Is there a recycling center nearby where you can drop it off? Don’t forget that cordless phone batteries contain acid and lead and will also need to be disposed of properly. Consumer electronics contain cadmium, lead, mercury and PCBs. Improperly handled e-waste can leech into the soil and water table, causing serious health hazards.
www.azoomed.com helps you make the right decision before purchasing any product