Do you know where your old PCs go? The growing utilization of electronic goods in consumer and industrial applications, fast technology obsolescence, and new technologies such as cloud computing and virtualization are causing a lot of e-waste. Mobile phones and computing devices represent one of the fastest growing types of electronic waste.
At the end of 2009, India alone produced about 4 million tons of e-waste, and by 2012, that number surpassed 8 million. Only about 5% of it was responsibly recycled. The rest was ‘managed’ by entities known as kabadiwala (waste gatherers).
Most e-waste contains hazardous materials such as cobalt, chromium, beryllium, plastic, lead, arsenic, and mercury, which not only contaminate the environment, but also lead to chronic health issues like kidney problems, heart disease and respiratory disorders.
At present, the disorganized disposal of electronic waste is a sure recipe for environmental disaster in many countries. Goods are irresponsibly disposed of in an effort to extract metals. Wires that are openly burnt release poisonous greenhouse gases. PC boards are processed in illicit ‘recycling containers’, and acids are disposed of into the ground, where they slowly contaminate soil and water.
Unfortunately, this is what could happen to old office PCs unless they are disposed of in proper recycling containers. Thankfully, many efforts are being made to increase consumer awareness about electronic waste in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.
At Best Disposal, Inc., we have been serving Lexington, NC and surrounding areas since 1996, offering excellent commercial and industrial waste disposal solutions, including recycling containers. For more information, contact us today.