In this day and age, we depend heavily on our electrical devices such as our mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and televisions. But not discarding of these properly when we replace them can lead to serious environmental consequences.
According to recent studies, UK households and businesses produce a staggering 1.45 million tonnes of electrical waste each year.
With such a global focus on sustainability at the moment with the COP26 discussions ongoing, many of us have been prompted to think about ways in which we can help the fight against climate change throughout the day-to-day tasks in our lives.
But what is e-waste and why is it so detrimental to the environment?
In this article, we explore the threat that e-waste has on the planet and what we can do to help prevent this.
What is E-waste?
Simply put, e-waste is the term used for any discarded electronic appliances such as old mobile phones, televisions, and laptops which we throw out if they’re damaged or to replace with newer models. How we discard of e-waste is important. If we don’t recycle it properly, it can end up in landfills where it piles up and becomes a hazard to the environment.
How To Discard Of E-waste
There are many approved ways to discard of your e-waste safely – although it can be tempting, simply dumping broken TVs in the skip when you’re done with them, is not the way to go. One of the easiest options is to take your appliances to an officially certified store where they will be recycled. Certified stores have legal requirements to follow the correct health and safety protocol when it comes to disposing of e-waste. Nowadays, you can even profit from recycling your old electronics, such as trading in old mobile phones. In exchange for an agreed price, your old phone can be recycled of its components that can be repurposed and used within the creation of new phones. Just be mindful to wipe all your personal data from your devices beforehand. Your device will then be refurbished and repurposed for somebody else to use.
Teaching Younger Generations the Importance of Recycling E-Waste
As COP26 has recently reminded us with the likes of Greta Thunberg speaking out, the fight against reversing the damages of climate change lies within the hands of our younger generations. In order to help the cause, we must continue to educate our children on the importance of recycling our e-waste in this ever-evolving digital age. If your children have a passion for electronics or mathematics, you could spark their interests by investing in a micro:bit. The micro:bit has been designed to make coding fun and interactive, giving young people the chance to get creative with writing software. This can help to teach children to treat technology with respect and you can then go on to teach them about recycling e-waste alongside this.
