Sure we fuzz about the newest Apple, Samsung, HP, Sony products. But how do we get rid of the old ones? Electronic waste has been growing as fast as the growth of the manufacturers’ revenues. The question now is, how do we manage our e-wastes? 

How many times do you change mobile phones every year?  How many mobile phone accessories do you buy every month? Now think of how you got rid of your old gadgets after you were done with them. Sure, some gives them away. But have you thought of what happens to the gadgets in their afterlife? If they stopped being useful as what they were intended to be when they were produced, what will happen to them? One thing is for sure, they won’t just decompose. 

Do you know how hazardous electronic waste is to the environment? The components used in producing cellular phones, personal digital assistants, computers, laptops, computer peripherals, television sets, microwaves, refrigerators and other appliances make these gadgets toxic. Electronic waste contains plastics, the heavy metals lead, cadmium and mercury that if not disposed properly will be potential risk to the environment and also people’s health.

Circuit boards and cathode-ray tubes (CRT) of computer monitors and television sets contain lead, which if not handles properly can accumulate in plants, animals and other microorganisms. Also, lead causes permanent brain damage and attacks the central nervous system if it builds up inside a human body.  Cadmium that can be found in surface mount device (SMD) chip resistors, infrared detectors and semiconductors, if accumulated in the body can eventually damage the kidneys. Mercury that is found in circuit boards, switches, medical equipment, lamps, mobile phones and batteries, transforms into methyl mercury in water and accumulates in large fishes such as tuna and also in humans. Mercury inhibits enzyme activity that can cause severe cell damage.

And of course the evil that has the potential to eat up the planet’s surface, plastic.  According to sources, plastic makes up almost 23 percent of a regular desktop computer. It is also widely used for insulation, cables and housing for many electronic devices. In other words, plastic is everywhere. Sadly, large amounts of plastic from electronic waste ends up either in landfills or are burnt in incinerators and open-fire pits. Incineration releases the toxins once bound by plastic polymers straight into the air, soil, water and to our body. 

The best electronic waste management practices are also to reduce, if possibly reuse, and recycle. It is human to desire but being practical saves money and the environment, lessen the impulsive switching of gadgets every month.  Some gadgets can still be reused, if they have little damage they can still be fixed. And most of all, there are companies that promote and facilities that specialize in recycling electronic waste. We can even recycle our own gadgets into crafts or other gadgets of different usage. The negative effects of electronic waste to the environment is endless, good thing there are also endless ideas on how to reduce, reuse and recycle them.