| Prior to buying a television, CD player, or cell phone, | | | | schemed obsolescence. Serious environmental and |
| do you contemplate about what to do with them | | | | health issues have arisen due to careless burning, |
| when they break down or need to be replaced? | | | | ungoverned and often unsafe disassembly, and |
| Three million tons of e-waste (commodity and | | | | hazardous disposal activities. |
| electronic waste) are produced by consumer | | | | The waste that is left over from consumer |
| electronics due to the discarding of faulty, impaired, | | | | electronics consists of PCB's or polychlorinated |
| and superseded devices. Let's see how e-waste | | | | biphenyls, lead, mercury, and cadmium. Not only are |
| affects your health and the environment, and what | | | | they very toxic, it has been shown through studies |
| happens to it when it is discarded. | | | | that the PCB's may cause cancer. Our soil and water |
| Large amounts of used electronics are shipped to | | | | may become contaminated, which would eventually |
| China, Kenya, and India because it is difficult and | | | | enter our food chain, if these items are not properly |
| costly to recycle it here and our legislation regarding | | | | disposed of. When they are burned, toxic fumes are |
| the exporting of e-waste is not well enforced. | | | | given off, causing both ozone depletion and health |
| Processing e-waste is much more profitable in those | | | | problems through inhalation. Cells can be damaged and |
| countries as the standards for the environment and | | | | kidney failure can occur when the central nervous |
| working conditions is much lower. Being aware of | | | | system is affected by mercury, lead or cadmium. |
| e-waste is a huge concern. Specialized facilities are | | | | Remember this from now on whenever you are |
| available to handle this hazardous material properly. | | | | carelessly trashing dead batteries or an obsolete |
| E-waste can be a very valuable source of secondary | | | | electronic device. Disposing of items the proper way |
| raw materials if the electronics are handled and | | | | through an e-waste recycler can help our |
| sorted correctly. But when they are not properly | | | | environment be saved. Due to the problems caused |
| handled, they contribute heavily to toxins and | | | | to our environment and our health, the disposal |
| carcinogens in our environment. The universal problem | | | | process of consumer electronics needs to be |
| has been compounded by fast growing technological | | | | carefully thought out. |
| advances, cheap starting cost, and shrewdly | | | | |