Damn! You broke your mobile. The person in the automobile repair shop said, “it’s no longer useful”. You scolded yourself for a bit and threw your mobile in the garbage. Does the story of that mobile phone end there? No. It will be transferred to where all electronic waste (e-waste) is. Globally every year, there is a generation of more than 50 million E-waste. E-waste causes various environmental problems. E-waste can be – unwanted, unused, or damaged electronic products. E-waste can be home appliances or medical equipment or communication devices or office equipment, or entertainment devices. Thus, e-waste management is the only way to reduce the e-waste harmful to us and the environment. In that process, e-waste is recycled into a reusable product. There are many reasons to consider the importance of E-waste management. Let’s see the Top 10 Reasons Why E-Waste Management System Is Important:
1. Prevent The Use Of Landfills
Landfills are the place where all the waste is buried. As E-waste is dumped here, it takes many years for them to decompose. And at those times, it will damage the environment as E-waste is made of toxic substances. And substances like mercury, chromium, etc., can cause water and air pollution. Thus, by recycling E-wastes, we can prevent these and save up landfill space.
2. Reduced Mining
Most of the components that form electronic devices are natural resources. To make every electronic device, so many of these resources are depleted. Suppose all electronic devices are dumped without recycling, many resources would be obtained through mining to create more devices. If all the E-wastes were recycled, those precious resources would be obtained through it and recycled for later use. For example, by recycling circuit boards, various natural resources like gold are obtained in a larger amount than you can get in mining.
3. Creates New Job
Job hunting? Yup. Even though various things developed, still getting a job is hard. E-waste recycling creates many job opportunities. As recycling electronic products needs specific skills, many jobs were created. Also, recycling E-wastes needs new machines, and to produce that machine, many people are required to operate it. Thus, creating more jobs. As more electronic products are used every day, more E-waste is produced. Therefore, creating more jobs.
4. Reduce Air Pollution
Most of the time, electronic devices are discarded by burning. This results in the release of various toxic gases, which results in air pollution. To extract most of the minerals needed for the manufacture of mobile, mining is done. It includes the blasting of rocks which releases various gases like sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide. These are also potential causes of air pollution. By recycling E-Waste releasing of these gases is reduced. Thus, reducing air pollution.
5. Increase Affordability
The cost of a mobile phone is so high, right? You might have wondered why they are getting so much money from us. It’s because of the components used for the making of mobile phones. More than the value of those products, the process of extracting those products is costly. Thus, by recycling electronic devices, we can obtain valuable products easier. Therefore, manufacturing costs are also reduced, resulting in an affordable product.
6. Water Bodies Are Prevented From Toxic Waste Poisoning
When more and more E-waste is dumped in landfills, it will travel to the nearest water bodies and pollute them. In addition to polluting the water bodies, it has also become a dreadful problem for the people who depend on that water bodies for survival. By recycling E-waste, we can prevent this from happening. Thus, E-waste management can stop toxic wastes from mixing with water bodies, protecting aquatic ecosystems and organisms that grow in them and organisms that depend on them.
7. Prevent Contamination Of The Environment
To make electronic products, many more substances are needed. Those are obtained through mining. By doing this, we are digging a hole and harming the environment. Recycling E-waste prevents all of these because most precious elements are retained from E-waste and used in producing new electronic products. Thus, reducing mining. Also, toxic substances like mercury and lead in E-waste affect the environment. By recycling E-waste, we can reuse most of these substances, thus preventing them from contaminating the environment.
8. Promotes Soil Fertility
Many E-waste dumps go into the soil and affect plant growth. Thus, it affects soil fertility. Also, the burning of this E-waste causes the release of many dust particles. These settle on the soil and affect its fertility. As agriculture is the most important source of livelihood for most of the world’s population, soil fertility is essential for plant growth. Recycling E-waste helps in improving the quality of soil, thus promoting the well-being of human beings overall.
9. Promote Fisheries Resources
Each day, tons of E-waste is dumped. It contains many toxic substances, mercury, lead, copper, etc. It can reach nearby water bodies and kill organisms inside the water. It was found that dead fish in the sea have high mercury levels because of human activities. E-waste recycling prevents water poisoning. Thus, living organisms inside water won’t be affected. By doing so, the water ecosystem is preserved, which also helps the people depend on those as livelihood sources.
10. Reduce Carbon Footprint And Saves Money
As everyone uses electronics nowadays, E-waste is an unavoidable factor. By burning E-waste, toxic chemicals are released into the atmosphere resulting in global warming. By recycling, emissions of greenhouse gases by burning E-waste are reduced, thus protecting our environment. Recycling E-waste not only protects the environment, but it also helps in saving money! Disposal costs of electronic waste are saved by recycling E-waste. By selling recycled products, we can even earn money. Thus, recycling E-waste protects our environment and helps us in saving money, even acting as an additional income.
