One of the many types of waste today that we generate broadly falls under electronic waste (otherwise known as e-waste). It’s when any electronic product or piece of technology that we use becomes broken, obsolete, or disposed of, and it’s a rapidly growing problem around the world.
Electronics can be trickier to dispose of than other kinds of waste due to the complicated mixture of materials that often go into building them. However, with so much e-waste being generated as time passes by (especially by the business and industrial sector), it falls to this segment of the community to do something about it.
Why is it so difficult to deal with?
As previously mentioned, e-waste can often be extremely difficult to dispose of due to the many chemicals and materials that have mixed together to make them work. Unlike other forms of waste, it’s relatively straightforward to break them down and separate the workable and non-workable parts. However, e-waste can often have extremely small parts and select sections that can be recycled.
Another important thing that’s stopping widespread recycling efforts is that some materials used in the construction of e-waste are extremely hazardous to handle. Chemicals such as lead, phosphorus, and other unstable varieties are often needed for our devices to work properly (for example, cathode-ray tubing for our display screens). However, it’s unlikely that most metropolitan centers have established a center big enough to handle waste like this or be able to take on the capacity required.
So, what can companies do about it?
One thing that the business sector has recently tried doing is partnering with the suppliers themselves to figure out a way to deal with electronic waste. Since the source of most of their electronics can be traced to one supplier, some companies have come up with programs to either sell back or upcycle their old electronics with the people they bought it from.
Smaller companies and enterprises will often partner with a third party that specializes in waste management, or take their electronic waste to a materials recycling facility. Scrap metal recycling is also an extremely popular option, especially for one-off disposals of old tech.
What are the benefits of disposing of electronic waste properly?
One of the reasons proper disposal of electronic waste should be encouraged is that the environmental impact of these products are often more extreme than we can think. The cost of the physical trash that these types of waste can generate is equivalent to millions, and the ecological impact that they can have (especially when their chemical components start to leak) can be devastating.
A company’s bottom line can also be impacted by the amount of electronic waste it generates. If they find themselves constantly replacing tech instead of re-using or upcycling it, it can generate a considerable drain on their operational budget over time. Acquiring new technology for use can often be very expensive, and it’s important for any business to cut costs whenever it is able. Look for a reliable recycling partner in your area today.
