Did you know that 88% of the electronics in Australia end up in landfills contributing to around 140,000 tonnes of e-waste? E-waste harms humans and the environment more than other hazardous waste, as these electronics contain chemicals and toxic metals like lead, arsenic and cadmium. When these electronics are dumped in landfills, UV rays corrode these metals which then enter the soil and atmosphere and harm the ecosystem and marine life.

These harmful metals, like lead, can seep into the soil, enter the drainage system, and cause lead poisoning in humans over time. Thus, it is important to recycle these electronic gadgets to protect the environment from these toxic elements and chemicals. Here are some benefits of recycling e-waste that will help protect the environment.

What Is E-Waste

E-waste consists of discarded electronic items like computers, televisions, mobile phones, air conditioners, and more that have become obsolete. Most of these electronics contain metals that can be recycled and used again, so they do not end up in landfills. The Australian Government has started a National Television and Recycling Scheme for free e-recycling. These are different waste collection units from your regular curbside recycling centres. You can visit any of these local e-waste collection units to dispose of your e-waste properly.

How Is E-Waste Recycled

• E-waste is recycled by first disposing of it properly in a collection centre where the trained workers will then separate the electronics into different categories.
• Once these electronics are sorted, these trained professionals will remove or extract the parts that can be reused or combined to make a new computer or television.
• Next, this waste is demanufactured by reliable waste management services in Adelaide, and the parts are disassembled. These experts will extract all the harmful components of the electronics, which can damage the processing plant and the landfills.
• They will then send these electronics for processing, where a magnet will first separate ferrous and non-ferrous materials and then pick up all the metallic minerals.
• Next, this e-waste is processed with water to dissolve the heavier parts like glass, and the rest of the waste is disposed of safely.

What Are The Benefits Of E-Waste Recycling

There are many benefits of recycling your electronic waste products, such as:

1. Protects The Ecosystem From Harmful Minerals

When you dispose of electronics in landfills, metallic minerals like lead, gold, silver, and arsenic eventually seep into the ecosystem and environment, damaging the microorganisms and marine life. However, when you recycle your e-waste, these harmful components are removed and reused in a proper manner that protects the environment.

Like e-waste, here are some environmental impacts of solid waste management.

2. Helps Extract Precious Metals For Reuse

Around 98% of the metals in your e-waste can be cleaned and reused in other electronics. This will reduce the need to extract and refine metals in processing units, which takes a long time and depletes natural resources. For instance, the glass used for televisions is very difficult to process and produce, but if separated from your old televisions, it can be easily reused.

3. Ensures That Your Valuable Data is Deleted

If you have not disposed of your electronics through proper recycling centres, they may still contain your valuable data. These confidential data sources are stored in your software system even after deleting them and can be extracted easily. Therefore, sending your electronic waste to reliable waste recycling centres in Adelaide, where trained professionals will delete your data and dispose of your electronics, is important.

4. Creates More Affordable Options For Lower-Income Groups

When you buy a new cell phone or a computer, you get rid of the old one as it has no more use. But this same gadget could be very useful for lower-income groups and others who cannot afford it at high prices. When these electronics are recycled, they are resold at affordable rates to charities and lower-income groups who can then use them.

Besides e-waste, here are some other items that can be recycled to protect our environment.

Conclusion

Thus, e-waste recycling is very beneficial not only for the environment but for our health as well as recycling protects us from the harmful chemicals and metals in these electronics. When reliable waste management services properly recycle e-waste in Adelaide, the various components are reused and disposed of carefully to protect the ecosystem and natural resources.