Alarming Statistics around E-Waste

It's hard not to be increasingly concerned about the issue of E-waste the more one educates themselves about it. Like many people, I never thought about or realized how bad this issue actually is. The article shared in this post highlighted 20 alarming facts about E-waste. Some of the facts blended together, but others really stood out. The fact that only 12.5% of all electronics are recycled is a problem. Especially when the article mentions how there are more mobile devices than there are people on the entire planet. Only 12.5% of these devices will be recycled, which is needless to say not very many, and this doesn't even account for all other electronic devices, only mobile devices such as cell phones. What this means to me is that 87.5% of all electronic waste is going to end up in a landfill somewhere. Not only does this add to issues such as the space landfills take up, but it also adds more hazardous chemicals to the ground and surrounding areas.

It is vital that we start spreading the word of E-waste recycling, but buyers beware! Just as the article mentions, some E-waste recycling facilities ship these items to other countries where they build up, and cause significant problems for ecosystems, and life quality for the areas impacted. Not only is it important to educate ourselves and our peers on the issue of E-waste, but we also need to make sure that the recycling outlets that we choose will actually recycle these items, and not just move the problem elsewhere.

http://www.earth911.com/eco-tech/20-e-waste-facts/