There are many benefits to e-waste recycling that many people might not be aware of. Additionally, many of these are benefits that can be shared by both businesses and individuals.
E-waste recycling helps to promote environmental best practices from the production of the products to their use. Electronic products have become a vital part of our daily lives. Finding safe ways to recycle them helps to ensure that their environmental impact does not add to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.
This blog highlights the various benefits of e-waste recycling. While it seeks to incentive others to recycle, it can also be used by those who already recycle and are looking for ways to reap more rewards from it.
What is E-Waste
Electronic waste (e-waste) is all the excess, discarded, or disposed of electronic products produced by both businesses and households. It has become a major part of waste management as technology continues to be prevalent in our daily lives.
It goes without saying that it is quite a large amount of waste with a variety of different forms and types. Electronic devices are part of how our world functions. Because of this, it is essential that we find effective ways to manage the waste.
We’ve written extensively about E-waste on our blog. Here are some of our most informative pieces:
- What is E-Waste Recycling?
- 25 E-Waste Disposal Best Practices
- E-Waste Management in the Modern Business Place
Common Types of E-waste
Common types of e-waste electrical items include
- Computers, laptops, and other smart devices.
- CDs and DVDs.
- Washing machines
- Refrigerators and other freezers.
- Microwave ovens.
- Stoves.
- Vacuum cleaners
- Old and new batteries.
- Printer cartridges
- Mobile Phones
- Circuit boards
E-Waste Recycling and the Environment
E-waste recycling is an important part of environmental sustainability. It is a practice that helps to build a more eco-friendly and greener future. There are a variety of recycling endeavours that both businesses and individuals can practise.
A popular e-waste recycling method is community recycling drives. This gives your local community a chance to engage with e-waste recycling in a safe and secure manner.
Business leaders can benefit greatly from setting up these kinds of community based waste management efforts. They can help to highlight your commitment to efficiency, sustainability, and your local community.
Ultimately, it is the environment that will most benefit from e-waste recycling initiatives. This is why local municipal recycling centres have seen a rise in recent years. People do have a desire to live in a greener world, and e-waste recycling is a crucial part of this.
Benefits of E-Waste Recycling
E-waste recycling helps to build the greener world that so many people wish to see. But this is not the only reason why people should engage in recycling. There are a number of benefits that speak to larger efficiencies across the board.
Environmental Benefits
One of the primary reasons people should recycle e-waste is because of the environmental benefits. At the end of the day an environmentally friendly world is a sustainable one that will last in the future.
Recycling e-waste items ensures the valuable materials and resources used in their production are not wasted. A common example of this is how precious resources like gold and cobalt are removed and reused in cell phone batteries.
Economic Benefits
Recycling carries many economic benefits. This is in part because of the efficiency that is needed to recycle successfully. When an electronic product is recycled, then the materials used in their production do not need to be remade. This saves money in the long run.
This also encourages resource recovery in the production, distribution, and disposal processes. The push towards better efficiency through recycling slowly develops a more effective economic model.
Health Benefits
The more green and efficient world produced by recycling e-waste leads to some strange benefits. One of these surprising benefits is health benefits. Like all waste, proper disposal minimises the risk of danger on human health.
E-waste items can contain hazardous chemicals and materials. Recycling prevents these hazardous items ending up in landfills and dumpsites where they can come into contact with humans or other animals.
Social Benefits
E-waste recycling promotes waste disposal best practices. This is an important social initiative when it comes to environmental best practices. Communities can come together and run things like e-waste recycling drives.
Similarly, e-waste dropoff points are a great way to allow community members to safely recycle their electronics. This brings like-minded people together while still promoting an eco-friendly lifestyle.
How to Recycling E-Waste
Recycling e-waste might seem like a complex process, but it is relatively easy for the average person or company to get involved. The best thing to do is to hire a professional waste management company like Cleanway. They can set up bespoken e-waste recycling solutions.
But even if you do not wish this option, there are many ways that you can recycle your e-waste products. Many local municipalities have electronic waste drop off points that specialise in breaking down these waste items.
Be sure to read about how your specific e-waste item must be recycled. Different electronic items often require different recycling techniques. Laptops and computers, for instance, are broken down in a way that might not be appropriate for mobile phones. Much of this information can be found on the manufacturers’ websites.
Some companies provide services like a computer recycling scheme. The benefit of this is that old, but still valuable, computers can be donated to those in need. An old computer might not be valuable to one person, but a school or local library would find it very useful.
Challenges of E-Waste Recycling
Despite the benefits mentioned above, there are some challenges with it comes to electronic recycling services and systems. Many of them are not different to the usual challenges of waste management.
When it comes to any waste, there is the risk of hazardous materials and the dangers associated with them. While other waste stream systems might remove humans from this danger, most electronics collected must be handled by humans at some point. It can be difficult to do this safely if the team is not professional.
Additionally, resource recovery centres can be challenging to manage if the recycling scheme systems are not in place. It is of vital importance that these systems are safe, efficient, and in line with any laws and regulations set by the Australian government.