With electronic recycling becoming increasingly crucial to the future of the planet, recovering mobile phones, and recycling old computers, televisions, printers and other electronic goods should be a priority for those that want to improve their ecological footprint.
When considering the importance of e-waste recycling, it’s worth remembering some of the more shocking electronic recycling facts from around the world, which illustrate the ongoing need for everyone to make an effort to conserve and properly recycle their electronic items. At Digit, our year round focus is on creating green communities by offering certified and compliant electronics recycling services as well as staying informed of the statistics and facts relevant to the electronics recycling industry. Here are 7 interesting facts about e-waste to pass along:
- 80 to 85% of electronic products were discarded in landfills or incinerators, which can release certain toxics into the air.
- E-waste represents 2% of America’s trash in landfills, but it equals 70% of overall toxic waste. The extreme amount of lead in electronics alone causes damage in the central and peripheral nervous systems, the blood and the kidneys.
- 20 to 50 million metric tons of e-waste are disposed worldwide every year.
- Cell phones and other electronic items contain high amounts of precious metals like gold or silver.
- Only 12.5% of e-waste is currently recycled.
- A large number of what is labeled as “e-waste” is actually not waste at all, but rather whole electronic equipment or parts that are readily marketable for reuse or can be recycled for materials recovery.
- Electronic items that are considered to be hazardous include, but are not limited to: Televisions and computer monitors that contain cathode ray tubes, LCD desktop monitors, LCD televisions, Plasma televisions, Portable DVD players with LCD screens.
