As electronic devices become more accessible, the amount of e-waste is growing rapidly. The rise in the use of electronic devices has led to an increase in e-waste, it is harmful to the environment as well as human health.
Right now, over 50 million tons of e-waste are produced each year—and this figure is expected to increase further. The amount of e-waste we create is growing by around 5% each year. It has become one of the most important environmental issues facing our planet today.
10% of e-waste comes from Smartphones
The reason for this rapid increase in e-waste is because people are constantly buying new smartphones and replacing their old ones with newer versions that contain more memory or perform better than the previous model. Even though these devices can still be used after they have been replaced, most people just end up discarding them without recycling or reusing them in any way whatsoever.
These devices contain a variety of different materials, such as copper, gold, silver and even platinum. When they are disposed of in landfills or dumped into rivers or lakes, these valuable metals can be easily extracted by criminals who then sell them on the black market.Globally, only 20% of e-waste is recycled. The remaining 80% is usually burned or buried in landfills—a practice that can pollute air and water. But recycling e-waste has its benefits: it conserves natural resources and reduces the need for raw materials that are often mined in areas of conflict.
image 1: 10% of e-waste comes from Smartphones
A small fraction of recyclable materials make it to a recycling plant, but much of this waste ends up in developing countries where it’s processed with little oversight or regulation. The lack of regulations has led to many workers in these plants being exposed to harmful chemicals from improperly disposed electronics.
Refurbished phones can help reduce e-waste.
Recycling used phones can help reduce the amount of e-waste that ends up in landfills or incineration plants. Reusing lets us get more value out of our old gadgets, and makes them last longer so that they don’t end up in landfill sites. Recycling means that we keep these valuable materials from going into landfills where they would eventually leach into the environment.
Refurbished phones are not just a way to reduce e-waste but also a cost effective way of upgrading your phone.
Refurbished phones let you upgrade your phone without buying a new device. While buying a refurbished device, you can save up to 70% on the price. Refurbished mobile phones can be bought by consumers and businesses at significantly reduced prices, which enables them to use older devices instead of buying new ones — thus reducing their overall carbon footprint while also helping prevent further damage to the environment.
Buy refurbished phones, save the Earth!
E-waste is a growing problem and one that we need to address. By recycling our electronic devices and buying refurbished phones instead of new ones, we can save money for yourself and it is a small step every one of us can make to save Earth from hazardous waste at the same time!