How Does E-waste Affect the Environment?

Prism Specialties

July 6th, 2023

How Does E-waste Affect the Environment? As an individual, the amount of e-waste we produce doesn’t seem substantial. But when multiplied across the more than 120 million households in the United States, the numbers are staggering. We live fairly detached from seeing and truly understanding its effects, which is why despite knowing that e-waste is […]

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How Does E-waste Affect the Environment?

As an individual, the amount of e-waste we produce doesn’t seem substantial. But when multiplied across the more than 120 million households in the United States, the numbers are staggering. We live fairly detached from seeing and truly understanding its effects, which is why despite knowing that e-waste is a problem, many still wonder, “Why is e-waste hazardous?” and “What does e-waste do to the environment?”

Read on to find out how electronic pollution impacts our environment and what you can do to act responsibly.

What Is E-waste and Why Is It a Problem?

E-waste, or electronic waste, refers to various discarded electronic products or equipment, including computers, phones, televisions, machinery, wires, plugs, batteries, and more. These products are often discarded because they are damaged, outdated, or unwanted.

The reason e-waste is a major concern for our environment is that the material makeup of these products is hazardous to our water and soil. When improperly incinerated, toxins such as dioxins, furans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs) and hydrogen chloride, can be released by burning e-waste.

What Are the Causes of E-waste?

Our electronic advancements and technology have rapidly increased since the popularization of the internet, which in turn has led to significantly more e-waste generation. Other causes of increased e-waste include:

Rapid growth of electronic products on the market.
Increased production.
Increased demand.
Regular technological upgrades that make products obsolete faster.
Reduced manufacturing costs that allow for mass production.

Why Should We Care About E-waste?

The most important reason to care about e-waste is that it’s extremely harmful to our soil and groundwater and, in turn, dangerous to our health. The toxic chemicals, gases, and materials produced from discarded electronics affect our surrounding water, air, and soil.

Additionally, the overconsumption of electronics, in general, contributes to an increased demand for new raw materials, perpetuating the cycle.

Related Content: Electronics Restoration: A Greener Solution

How Does Electronic Waste Affect the Environment?

The impact of e-waste on the environment is substantial. Electronic pollution contributes to:

Air pollution. Improper recycling, including dismantling, shredding, and especially incinerating electronics, leads to dust, pollutants, and chemicals being released into the air. Additionally, materials used to dissolve e-waste can release harmful fumes. Over time, the mass amount of these pollutants can harm our air quality.
Water contamination. The chemicals used to dissolve electronics are often disposed of into our wastewater system, which can then end up in our natural water sources. Not only does this harm the ecosystem surrounding these bodies of water, but it can also end up back in our treated water supply.
Soil contamination. The improper disposal of e-waste in landfills can result in harmful heavy metals and flame retardants being released into our soil or entering through wastewater. When e-waste is incinerated or stripped, these toxins can be more extreme and similarly reenter the soil. This can affect the surrounding wildlife, crops, and future soil health.
Climate change. E-waste produces high amounts of CO₂ as it degrades in a landfill, contributing to the greenhouse effect. This results in global temperature changes.
Wildlife health risks. Chemical contaminants that enter the water supply for nearby wildlife can be extremely harmful to their health and even affect the crop growth within that area.

How Does Discarding Computers in a Landfill Affect the Environment?

Some discarded computers may contain batteries with heavy metal components such as lead, mercury, and lithium that will leach into the surrounding soil and enter our streams, ponds, lakes, etc. Additionally, when computers are incinerated improperly through the recycling process, these chemicals enter our air, resulting in harmful health effects on humans, animals, and our ecosystem.

How Much E-waste Is Recycled?

According to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), only 17.4% of global e-waste was properly recycled as of 2019. This is a major concern considering that 53.6 million metric tons of global e-waste were generated in 2019.

How to Prevent E-waste

As a collective, we largely contribute to adverse e-waste effects, which also means we can reduce them. If you don’t know what to do with e-waste or you’re looking to prevent it altogether, here are some helpful tips to consider:

Reduce overconsumption. It can be easy to fall into the habit of purchasing products you don’t need or seeking out the latest version or technology of a product you already have. Take the time to re-evaluate your intent before purchasing.
Maintain electronics. Take care of the electronics you have! Routine cleaning, sanitizing, repairing, and testing your electronics can help maintain efficiency and extend life expectancy.
Purchase eco-friendly. Opting for eco-friendly electronics when you do purchase or replace them can make a significant impact on the overall carbon footprint you leave. Energy Star-rated products are more energy-efficient, reducing emissions and energy use. Eco-friendly products may also be produced from recycled materials to help reduce the overall waste left in the landfill.
Donate. If it no longer serves a purpose for you, it may for someone else. Consider donating your electronics to local charities, schools, social programs, or organizations like Human-I-T.
Recycle. If donating or restoring isn’t an option, make sure that you locate a recycler certified with the E-Steward label to ensure that your electronics are correctly recycled.
Restore. You may be surprised how much can be restored, even from fire, mold, or water damage. Before you recycle your electronics, consider restoration. Prism Specialties provides restoration, data recovery, and even technology upgrades for electronics.

Limit Your Contribution to E-Waste by Choosing Restoration

Help protect our environment by restoring your damaged electronics instead of sending them to the landfill. The professionals at Prism Specialties can restore your disaster-damaged electronics and even provide maintenance services to help extend their life. Call (888) 826-9429 or submit your claim online.