The digital revolution has changed our lives.
It has revolutionized communication, education and brought people closer together.
As a technology-obsessed generation, we all have several types of gadgets and electronics at our fingertips, everything from the smart home that has become dumber over time, appliances, computers and smartphones, which in many cases we replace almost as often as our clothes.
The result is a staggering amount of electronic waste (E-waste) generated every year worldwide. E-waste includes all possible discarded electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops, batteries, game consoles and all their components and accessories, which have reached or are approaching the end of their technical life.
Some incredible facts about E-waste include that we as humans generate about 40 million tons of E-waste every year, which is equivalent to discarding about 800 laptops every second.. ( yes, per second )
In addition, approx. 70% of the total toxic waste consists of E-waste, and only 12.5% is recycled correctly.
Shockingly, by 2022, nearly 85% of all E-waste will end up in landfills worldwide, where it is either buried and pretended to be forgotten or burned, releasing harmful substances into the air.
Many electronics contain lead, which itself can damage the central nervous system and kidneys. Exposure to lead, even at low levels, can also affect a child's mental development.
In addition, E-waste contains hundreds of other toxic substances, such as mercury, arsenic, cadmium and various flame retardants.
Most e-waste in the US and other countries as well is sent to Asia, where "workers", (including children), are paid an average of $1.50 a day to extract precious metals from discarded electronics. This dangerous recycling method poses significant risks, both to the health and well-being of workers, but also contributes to environmental pollution.
However, recycling E-waste can help reduce the negative effects of electronic waste. Mobile phones and other electronics also contain precious metals such as gold, silver and copper that can be recycled. Recycling 1 million laptops saves in energy the equivalent of the amount used by 3,600 US homes for an entire year.
In addition, many parts and components of E-waste can be reused and recycled for material recovery. Proper disposal of electronic equipment is critical to reducing E-waste. Donating old electronics to friends, charities or local outreach programs instead of disposing of them in landfills is a better option.
Using an e-waste recycler is also important to ensure that the waste is disposed of and handled appropriately. In conclusion, we can all be part of the solution by reducing e-waste and recycling our old electronic devices. Let's keep e-waste out of landfills and protect the environment and the health and well-being of people worldwide.
For this very reason, we have chosen to do what we can to receive certain types of electronic waste, limited by the capacity we are currently able to handle. In this way, to do our bit for the environment and public health by reusing parts and components of electronics to save something else that has a few years left to give.
We always sort, handle and dispose of all raw materials and elements correctly.
We can't take everything, but we are always happy to receive an email with your request, picture and information about what you want to get rid of.
We do ours if you do yours,
// Landgren Dynamics