Getting rid of old electronics can be very easy – stick them in the garbage and forget about them. Yet many people don't realize that electronic waste, also known as e-waste, is a serious and growing problem for the environment.
E-waste is a catchall term
that refers to all forms of electronics. It includes things such as desktop
computers, laptops, tablets, mobiles, televisions, games consoles, cable boxes,
chargers and more.
Unlike many forms of
garbage, electronic waste is not biodegradable. Although electronics often
become inoperable, they only break down over time to a limited extent.
The sheer amount of e-waste
is difficult to wrap your head around. About 50 million tons of e-waste ends up in landfills each year. If
every piece of e-waste we produce in a year was laid end-to-end, it would be
long enough to encircle the earth seventeen times!
E-waste can be highly toxic.
E-waste is about 2% of the waste that goes to landfills, but it makes up about
70% of toxic waste.
For example, cases of lead
toxicity are very common in communities close to dumps of e-waste. Lead is one
of the most widely used metals in electronics manufacturing, and it
contaminates soil and groundwater as e-waste (slowly) breaks down. Cadmium is
also released over time as e-waste breaks down. While this chemical element
makes up a small proportion of components in e-waste, even tiny quantities can
cause serious damage to the kidneys. Brominated Flame Retardants (BRFs) are
widespread in e-waste and give rise to serious hormonal disorders. E-waste also
often contains potentially toxic substances such as polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs), copper and arsenic.
Although most old
electronics are simply thrown away, a large majority of these devices can be
profitably reused in whole or in part in newer electronics. Yet unfortunately,
only about 15% of electronics are recycled.
Recycling e-waste is not
just about ensuring that people living near e-waste don't suffer from health
problems. It is also extremely important for reasons of ecological efficiency.
For example, manufacturing a typical desktop computer takes about four times as
much energy (measured in fossil fuels and electricity) as the computer uses in
its entire lifetime.
Storage King takes
environmental stewardship seriously. We want to make it as easy as possible for
our customers to get rid of your old electronics. We're working with our
partners at Ecoactiv and Mobile Muster to recycle as much as we can together.
E-waste is a catchall term
that refers to all forms of electronics. It includes things such as desktop
computers, laptops, tablets, mobiles, televisions, games consoles, cable boxes,
chargers and more.
Unlike many forms of
garbage, electronic waste is not biodegradable. Although electronics often
become inoperable, they only break down over time to a limited extent.
The sheer amount of e-waste
is difficult to wrap your head around. About 50 million tons of e-waste ends up in landfills each year. If
every piece of e-waste we produce in a year was laid end-to-end, it would be
long enough to encircle the earth seventeen times!
E-waste can be highly toxic.
E-waste is about 2% of the waste that goes to landfills, but it makes up about
70% of toxic waste.
For example, cases of lead
toxicity are very common in communities close to dumps of e-waste. Lead is one
of the most widely used metals in electronics manufacturing, and it
contaminates soil and groundwater as e-waste (slowly) breaks down. Cadmium is
also released over time as e-waste breaks down. While this chemical element
makes up a small proportion of components in e-waste, even tiny quantities can
cause serious damage to the kidneys. Brominated Flame Retardants (BRFs) are
widespread in e-waste and give rise to serious hormonal disorders. E-waste also
often contains potentially toxic substances such as polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs), copper and arsenic.
Although most old
electronics are simply thrown away, a large majority of these devices can be
profitably reused in whole or in part in newer electronics. Yet unfortunately,
only about 15% of electronics are recycled.
Recycling e-waste is not
just about ensuring that people living near e-waste don't suffer from health
problems. It is also extremely important for reasons of ecological efficiency.
For example, manufacturing a typical desktop computer takes about four times as
much energy (measured in fossil fuels and electricity) as the computer uses in
its entire lifetime.
It also makes a lot of sense
from an economic perspective. Every ton of cell phones recycled contains about
$15,000 of precious metals.
Storage King takes
environmental stewardship seriously. We want to make it as easy as possible for
our customers to get rid of your old electronics. We're working with our
partners at Ecoactiv and Mobile Muster to recycle as much as we can together.
In recognition of World
Environmental Day on the 5th of June, any customer who spends $50 or
more at Storage King in May will receive a free box for e-waste from us. You
can drop it off at your local Storage King and we will arrange for your
electronics to be recycled free of charge.