One of the biggest issues RetirePC strives to fight against is e-waste. Although it may seem harmless to dispose of your unwanted or obsolete electronics at the local dump, the truth of the matter is, you’re contributing to the escalation of a global crisis.
Here’s a look at some of the most condemning facts about e-waste and how your next company-wide technology upgrade can mitigate the growth of this serious problem.
E-Waste Disposal Rates are at an All-Time High
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) e-waste is a problem that only 13 percent of the population is trying to avoid through recycling. Based on EPA statistics, every year, the United States alone throws away 9.4 million tons of electronics at local dumps.
Without steps to reduce e-waste, it’s expected that the annual amount of accumulated waste is going to grow by 5 percent each year.
E-Wastes Continuously Spreads Across the Globe
Every year millions of tons of e-waste make its way to developing countries. Not only does this “disposal” of e-waste create environmental problems in these countries, but it also serves as the use of valuable resources that could have been avoided through the electronics recycling process.
E-Waste Poses Some Severe Health Risks
The electronics we use on a daily basis are made up of materials that are harmful to the body when direct contact occurs. Leaving electronics to rot in mass piles at your local dump can result in eventual contact with harmful materials like:
- Lead
- Chromium
- Flame Retardants
- PCBs
- Cadmium
Although you may not feel the direct contact with these chemicals, the toxins released into your environment contaminate the water and air resources of your community.
Failure to Recycle is a Waste of Precious Resources
Your one computer and monitor may seem like an insignificant piece of the e-waste puzzle, but, in fact, it’s production alone uses up hundreds of pounds worth of resources that are absolutely wasted when you opt-out of a recycling program.
Here are the stats of what goes into the making of a single monitor and desktop:
- 539 pounds of fossil fuel
- 48 pounds of chemicals
- 1.5 tons of water
Recycling Actually Saves Energy
Aside from making use of whole electronic equipment through recycling, the process of recycling 1 million laptops saves tons of energy as an alternative to the destruction methods used in a landfill. The amount of energy saved through using a certified electronics recycling company equates to the amount of energy used in over 3,500 U.S. households in a year.
Help End E-Waste with RetirePC!
We are an R2 certified electronics recycling company that is ready to help you make a difference in your city. RetirePC will gladly take your outdated equipment off of your facility’s hands and efficiently recycle your product in an environmentally-friendly way.
We will even come to you to pick up your electronics! Contact us today to find out more about our services available in your area.