E-Waste is any electronics that are no longer wanted by the owner and is looking for disposal. This includes old cell phones, computers, televisions, gaming systems, etc. These items are not eligible to be thrown out in the regular trash in most states and require specific disposal.
Most states or counties will have special collections for residents to take their e-waste so it can be collected and processed. These collections are usually free. The materials are then supposed to be recycled so dangerous materials such as cadmium, lead, mercury, and more are not released to the environment. Also, there are resources like copper, silver, gold, and other materials that can be collected from the e-waste if handled properly.
Watch the video above on how some e-waste is handled in the US.
Now watch a video on how a company that does electronics recycling for profit separates and collects the materials in our e-waste.
E-Waste is an ever-growing problem in our society. They contain dangerous materials that require special processing but they also contain valuable materials that we need to recover to try to live sustainably.
