One person's trash is another person's treasure. This still rings true. With recycling, you can make this happen. E-waste is by far the worst waste stream. Using recycling you can help reclaim resources. An enormous opportunity awaits you when you start recycling. In Minnesota alone, the value of this waste not mined is $2.8 billion per annum. The amount of obsolete electronics lying around in your home is the culprit. Keep in mind that the number will only increase. Unless we do something.Â
What Can we do to Combat Improper Disposal of E-Waste?
We can create a policy to make sure e-waste is disposed of, but that is not the case. I mean look at the Basel Convention and the number of states that recycle. The result is dismal. Only 14 states out of 52. $2.8 billion per annum is from one state. Simple math would suggest that the total value of this waste would be in the ballpark of $145.6 trillion per annum. But that is not the case. Electronic waste starts to grow when electronics become obsolete.
Will E-waste Increase in the Coming Years?
Smaller Electronics such as batteries are prone to increase as they get spent easily. Whereas computers and laptops are long-lasting. The shelf life of some electronics is longer than most. Proper care of your electronics can last for more than a decade. But is most unlikely as we care far less than you can imagine.
Why Electronic Waste Recycling is Slow?
Opportunity knocks on the door. But not every day. The quicker we are to avail it the better the outcome. Currently, we are recycling far less than we tell ourselves. The amount of e-waste entering Landfills is staggering. Recycle Technologies is the sole company that is informing you to recycle. You have to do what is right. But if you don’t, do it. Nothing bad going to happen. Only Planet Earth will stop existing. Carl Sagan warned us in the 80s. We didn't bat an eye. That is the same case for today as well. Maybe Recycle Technologies has an ulterior motive. Perhaps world domination. Have you ever heard of a recycling company taking over the world? This is more far-fetched than someone saying there is intelligent life in the universe.
Why choose Recycle Technologies for E-waste Recycling?
Recycle Technologies has no plans for world domination. We only want you to do your civic duty which is to recycle. That's all we want. The amount of dangerous chemicals present in newer electronics is more dangerous than you can only imagine. We are still dealing with the effect of mercury posing a risk. States are actively recycling mercury-containing devices which is a good thing. But throwing electronics in landfills is insane. It only does more harm than good. What are you going to do with the soil and water contamination? It will make Chernobyl a walk in the park. People need to realise that nothing ever does happen overnight. It takes time. But when 1 billion people start recycling daily then you put a huge dent into the electronic waste numbers. Â
A Look Back into what Recycle Technologies have Been Doing for E-Waste Recycling
To get a better understanding of what we have been doing. Since opening our doors in 1992, We have recycled more than 40 million light bulbs and approximately 20 million pounds of electronic waste. This might have made an impact, but we feel it is not that much. We advocate for a policy to increase the number of electronics recycling in the state. This is because the issue is massive. 30 years of buying electronics was a luxury not with the advent of technology it has become common. There are more mobile phones than the number of people using them. Do ask yourself if all those phones become obsolete. They are either thrown in the river or landfills.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
The alarming thing to consider is that we only recycle 17 %. So, the rest 83% is either sitting at your home or in the landfill. Wait until the spent electronics start to decompose. That is when the fireworks start to happen. As those chemicals start eating the electronics, they become a hazard for you. But I might be exaggerating. You won't know a thing since you are already suffering. It might seem a lost cause but recycling electronic waste helps us to recover a lot of valuable products. It creates more than 2500 jobs.Â
What Will Happen if you Recycle Electronic Waste?
The resources we claim from this waste will help create numerous products such as cars and solar panels. The opportunity is huge only if we bank upon it. You might think that this would be an easy job, but that is not the case. This process is hard. Recycle Technologies does the obvious and destroys any sensitive data on electronics before dismantling them. This is one of the reasons why many customers prefer us for our ITAD and Data destruction services. When the task is completed, we move towards sorting and proper disposal.Â
Also Read: What Dangers of E-waste lurk when you don`t recycle
Conclusion
Recycle Technologies is a recycler that will tell you how it is. We will never sugarcoat it. I mean we have been doing business for so long that our first electronic device was a VCR. Yes, we are that much older. VHS and Beta max tapes. For us technology has improved our lives, but electronics are still an issue. Moving from mercury-containing devices is a big plus but lithium and lead. Oh boy, these two are dangerous elements. That is one of the main reasons why we keep telling you to recycle. Lithium batteries reacting to water sources have the same effect as Mentos entering a soda can. The only difference is the contamination that follows from the former.Â
PSA
We are deadly serious about not attempting to put lithium batteries into water sources. This can lead to fires. Do the responsible thing and recycle. Even Oscar the grouch will come out of hiding to tell you that you are making a difference when recycling. No, he is not a time lord.