Many old electronic devices contain toxic substances that include lead, mercury, cadmium, beryllium, polyvinyl chloride, and chromium. When e-waste is tossed into landfills, these chemicals leach into the soil, polluting the ground water as well as the air.
Electronics are made of components that contain valuable raw materials. Recycling old devices saves energy. It also means that fewer raw materials need to be drawn from nature to create new devices.
Reusing old devices prevents e-waste by keeping it out of landfills. It also saves the resources used to recycle them. Additionally, reusing electronics helps other, less-fortunate people in your community. So take your old devices to be refurbished (if possible) and give them a new life.
Finally, recycling saves the raw materials that can be repurposed by producing new devices. As a result, energy is saved, pollution is reduced, and there are fewer greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere.
