HOW DOES

RECYCLING
ELECTRONICS HELP
THE
ENVIRONMENT?

Electronic waste, also known as e-waste, comprised 1.87 million short tons of
consumer matter in 2013. This amount accounts for 40% of total recycled
consumer electronics. A short ton, also known as the US ton, is equal to 2000
pounds of material. If an average male African elephant weighs seven tons,
1.87 million tons is the equivalent of approximately 267,000 elephants. And
that figure represents one year of consumption!
E-waste includes television sets, microwaves computers, printers, scanners,
fax machines, mice, keyboards, cell phones, office, industrial and medical
equipment, label makers, satellite dishes, toasters, VCRS, DVD players,
heaters, washing machines and satellite dishes. Basically, e-waste includes
consumer or business items that are no longer functioning or nearly dead.

What is E-Waste?

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Some of the aforementioned products can be reused by donation

or reselling through local or online sources. Other equipment
needs to be refurbished. If the product is defunct, the materials
can be recycled to help protect and sustain the environment.
Before donating or recycling, delete all personal information
from the memory of the device using drive cleaning software;
deleting files via the desktop is not enough to permanently
delete sensitive information from memory. In addition, batteries
need to be removed and recycled separately. When donating a
cell phone, delete all memory, remove the SIM card and cut it in
half.

http://www.allgreenrecycling.com

How Does Recycling Electronics Help the

Environment through Detoxification?

Multiple components of electronic products contain

toxic and hazardous material that are detrimental to the
health and natural environment of plants, animals and
humans. Heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium,
arsenic, lead and nickel are extremely damaging to
organisms and the environment. The absorption of the
aforementioned heavy metals, even in minute
quantities, blocks crucial enzymatic pathways in the
body, leading to neurologic and immune changes. Over
time, heavy metal toxicity leads to chronic illness and
health complications. Detoxifying these heavy metals
from a living organism requires special potent
detoxifiers such as chlorella, cilantro, calcium EDTA,
DMSO and FIR saunas.
http://www.allgreenrecycling.com

Cell phones have heavy metals which, when

recovered, are used in jewelry, plating and the
automotive and art industries, among others. Plastic
cell phone arts are recycled to create new electronic
and plastic equipment. Plasticizers act as
xenoestrogens in living creatures. Microscopic
amounts of these compounds mimic the role of
estrogen in the body and imbalance hormonal
pathways in the body, leading to chronic illness.

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How Does Recycling Electronics Help the

Environment through Pollution Reduction?

By recycling one million laptops, the public

can annually save the electrical energy of
3,500 US homes. By recycling one million
cell phones, the industry recovers 915
thousand pounds of copper, silver, gold
and palladium.

http://www.allgreenrecycling.com

Why Should Consumers Care?

Manufacturers and retailers provide different ways to recycle
electronics. Ask the retailer or search online for available resources
and local programs. Together, small proactive behavioral changes
can yield large environmental changes. Although educating the
public and changing habits requires awareness, understanding,
commitment and time, the long lasting choices consumers make
on a daily basis drive the future health and wealth of nations. The
public has the power to exponentially decrease the 167 million
tons of annual landfill waste. To create change, act now.

http://www.allgreenrecycling.com

Questions? Comments?

Website: http://www.allgreenrecycling.com
All Green Recycling
info@allgreenrecycling.com
(800) 780-0347

Source:
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/e
cycling/faq.htm

http://www2.epa.gov/recycle/electronics-donation-a
nd-recycling
http://www.recycleforce.org/recycling-services/e-wa
ste
http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Electronics/WhatisEwa
ste/
We are happy to help you!
http://www.fresnostate.edu/adminserv/ehsrms/env
iromgt/electwaste/example.htm

http://www.allgreenrecycling.com