It’s becoming a very common problem. We have all got electronics that we no longer use or want. Whether they have stopped working, became obsolete, or simply became boring, they continue to pile up. Americans growing appetite for the latest and greatest has created the fastest growing waste stream in the US. Growing at a rate of over 8% annually, electronic waste is surpassing 40 million tons per year.
70% of toxic waste in landfills is electronic waste
Where does it all go? Currently, 88% of this ‘e-waste’ is making its way to landfills. As it stands, e-waste accounts for 2% of the waste in a landfill and growing, however it accounts for over 70% of classified toxic waste. With a common make-up of lead, cadmium, arsenic, hexavalent chromium and other toxins, this e-waste is posing a huge problem to our environment and us. As the electronics break down these toxins are able to leach into the ground contaminated both the land, air, and water. This issue is heavy on the minds of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). At a recent conference hosted by the CEC a panel of experts weighed in on the biggest problems with e waste and the best solutions. Click here to read their full opinions.
Electronics recycling at a rate of only 12%
What can you do? With a recycling rate of only 12%, it’s no wonder e-waste is posing such a risk. As electronics become obsolete and no longer needed, all it takes is a simple search to find electronic recycling facilities. Many communities host annual events to collect electronics for recycling. Currently DataShield partners with communities and organizations to hold over 20 summer time electronic recycling events. Many options are available to businesses from asset management and liquidation to complete electronics recycling and certified data destruction of hard drives, disks, tapes, and more. Please think twice about tossing that old equipment in the dumpster.
