Throwing Old Electronics into Landfills Contaminates the Environment
Alot of people are probably enjoying the nice weather and maybe its time to start that annual process of spring cleaning. I know when I finally decide to clean out the house I find all kinds of things, and electronics are no strangers in this mix. Sometimes its a cell phone, a few cell phones
What I sometimes don’t think about is how harmful it can be to simply throw these miscellaneous items away. Sure, one cell phone won’t make a difference, but these things pile up fast. More and more people are constantly buying new phones and throwing aside their old ones. Think about all the millions of phones that daily get thrown into landfills. Here are just a few things those phones may contain:
- Poly-Chlorinated Bi-Phenyls (PCBs)
- Dioxins (From Plastics)
- Traces of Hazardous Mercury
- Precious Metals that are Expensive to Mine
- Glass, Capacitors, and Batteries that can be sustainably recycled
Old Household Appliances?
Those can be recycled too!
An old leaf blower, lawn mower, microwave, or anything else. These items all have value and should NOT be thrown away. If your appliance doesn’t work, recycle it, and add to the solution.
The Solution is Simple: Recycle!
Your carbon footprint actually goes significantly down when you elect to recycle your old household items. Many of the metals, plastics, or glass in consumer items account for an
over 80% energy reduction .
So this year, when you are cleaning out your house for the coming spring months. Keep the environment in mind. And we can recycle for the future!