New personal electronic devices age poorly, and obsolescence is built-in. The hottest new smart-phones enjoy a comparatively short life-span, and soon join the old CD players, miniature flip-phones, and big, boxy-looking PCs that are relegated to the attic or garage. Each consumer generates around twenty pounds of electronic garbage each year on average, and Dallas e-waste processing helps them recycle the old units responsibly.
It is no secret that many electronic components include toxins. Prior to flat screen displays, bulky cathode ray tubes needed barium, a toxic metallic element also necessary for some automobile parts and lighting elements. Circuit boards often contain cadmium, harmful to kidneys and bones. Lead, chromium, and mercury are also common in used electronics, usually surrounded by structural plastic that neither burns nor decomposes.
The public is well-informed about the need for recycling, but that awareness has had little impact on the growing presence of e-waste. It is common for manufacturing companies to have no officially expressed policy regarding ultimate disposal, and even environmentally progressive bodies such as the European Union can account for less than one quarter of the electronic garbage generated. United States figures go even lower, and much of that is exported for metal extraction.
In an ideal world, electronics makers would take full responsibility for recycling their own products, and that is becoming a reality in some cases. In Texas, computer and TV makers are now required by law to offer free recycling services for consumers, and must publicize those opportunities. While many major corporations willingly choose to participate, others say recycling is the responsibility of buyers, not makers.
Even those who make an effort to safely dispose of old equipment have little idea of its final destination. In many areas neighborhood collection events are becoming popular, and some local businesses offer free pickup. Charitable organizations solicit old computers for re-purposing in schools or churches. In some cases equipment is simply sent to destination countries battling their own waste issues, and disassembled by workers enjoying few protections.
Once the garbage has been removed, there are few real assurances that it will not end up becoming part of a greater problem. Some receiving countries face such extreme poverty that they willingly trade environmental degradation in exchange for hard currency. In wealthier nations, local recycling programs that are the least costly to operate over time may not be the best long-term solution.
Some electronics makers are seeking meaningful certification by local, independent environmental agencies. In many states there are already substantial fines for flaunting regulations, but no national laws uniformly regulate electronic waste processing. It has become extremely easy for people to have their old electronics taken away, but very hard to determine their final destination.
People residing in Austin increasingly choose a recycling company that is willing to openly explain how the disposal process works, and whether the material is being internationally transported. Some firms have adopted tracking systems that follow individual shipments closely, including the final destination. This not only helps control environmental pollution, but also offers better protections for workers involved in the recycling effort.
It is no secret that many electronic components include toxins. Prior to flat screen displays, bulky cathode ray tubes needed barium, a toxic metallic element also necessary for some automobile parts and lighting elements. Circuit boards often contain cadmium, harmful to kidneys and bones. Lead, chromium, and mercury are also common in used electronics, usually surrounded by structural plastic that neither burns nor decomposes.
The public is well-informed about the need for recycling, but that awareness has had little impact on the growing presence of e-waste. It is common for manufacturing companies to have no officially expressed policy regarding ultimate disposal, and even environmentally progressive bodies such as the European Union can account for less than one quarter of the electronic garbage generated. United States figures go even lower, and much of that is exported for metal extraction.
In an ideal world, electronics makers would take full responsibility for recycling their own products, and that is becoming a reality in some cases. In Texas, computer and TV makers are now required by law to offer free recycling services for consumers, and must publicize those opportunities. While many major corporations willingly choose to participate, others say recycling is the responsibility of buyers, not makers.
Even those who make an effort to safely dispose of old equipment have little idea of its final destination. In many areas neighborhood collection events are becoming popular, and some local businesses offer free pickup. Charitable organizations solicit old computers for re-purposing in schools or churches. In some cases equipment is simply sent to destination countries battling their own waste issues, and disassembled by workers enjoying few protections.
Once the garbage has been removed, there are few real assurances that it will not end up becoming part of a greater problem. Some receiving countries face such extreme poverty that they willingly trade environmental degradation in exchange for hard currency. In wealthier nations, local recycling programs that are the least costly to operate over time may not be the best long-term solution.
Some electronics makers are seeking meaningful certification by local, independent environmental agencies. In many states there are already substantial fines for flaunting regulations, but no national laws uniformly regulate electronic waste processing. It has become extremely easy for people to have their old electronics taken away, but very hard to determine their final destination.
People residing in Austin increasingly choose a recycling company that is willing to openly explain how the disposal process works, and whether the material is being internationally transported. Some firms have adopted tracking systems that follow individual shipments closely, including the final destination. This not only helps control environmental pollution, but also offers better protections for workers involved in the recycling effort.
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