Where Do Broken Gadgets Go? The Environmental Effects of E-Waste

Look around you. How many electronic devices are in your living space? From the flat-screen television in your room, the fitness tracker on your wrist, to your smartphone that you bring almost everywhere—even to the restroom, how many of these gadgets do you actually need?

Due to technological innovation, more and more electronic devices get released on the market almost every month. And consumer electronic brands can somehow make us believe that we need a new gadget because of its new features or new design. Because of this, people are buying more gadgets than they need and are replacing the ones they have even though it’s still in perfect working condition.

According to Strategy Analytics, UK mobile phone owners replace their mobile phones every 26 months, even though it could actually last up to 4 years. There are two common reasons behind constant gadget replacement: a broken unit or the desire to upgrade because of a newly-released model.

When purchasing a new gadget, we only think of two things: whether we can afford it and the new features you can get from it. However, have you ever stopped to think about where used electronic devices end up?

Understanding E-Waste: An Escalating Global Problem

Electronic waste, also called e-waste, are electronic products that reached the end of their “useful” life. E-waste can include computers, televisions, cameras, mobile phones, and any used electronic device. The e-waste problem in the UK is growing by the minute. In fact, tonnes of electronic waste is dumped each year. On a much larger scale, the United Nations University Global E-waste Monitor predicted that global e-waste would hit 50 million in 2019, with three million of it being small devices such as used mobile phones.

 

Why e-waste is dangerous to the environment

Computer and most electronic devices contain toxic materials which if released into the environment can be harmful to human blood and organs. Moreover, when e-waste is left in the landfill and is warmed up, the toxic chemicals can damage the atmosphere which is one of the biggest environmental risk caused by the growing amount of e-waste. This can harm land and sea animals when these toxic materials seep into groundwater.

What to do with e-waste

While used electronic devices are seen as useless, this type of e-waste contains metal components that can be used again. E-waste contains scrap metal that can be recycled and even purchased by waste management companies. While the standard way of sourcing metals is extracting them from the ground, a more cost-efficient alternative is to utilise scrap metals. Aside from the fact that recycling metal components does not contribute to depleting the planet’s resource, this alternative also saves on fuel and energy expenses in manufacturing.

 

Give e-waste a second life

Aside from helping the environment, selling and salvaging scrap metals or e-scraps can be a great source of income. LMK Recycling is committed to being a zero-waste company. Our 40 years of experience in scrap metal allows us to help you with your metal waste. We collect, purchase, and recycle scrap metal from both public and trade partners across the country. Contact us today and let’s start recycling.