Living in the digital age means that the number of electronic devices and appliances is growing in our homes and businesses. Electronic waste, or e-waste as it’s commonly called, can consist of all types of electronics that have been piling up around the house. This includes TVs, printers, old phones, computer monitors and much more.
Unfortunately, most households and businesses throw out their old appliances and electrical devices into general waste bins. This means it all ends up in landfills, which poses a risk to both the environment and human health. The Global E-Waste Monitor made a report that showed how e-waste has increased by over 21% over the past few years. We need to do what we can to limit where hazardous waste is going. This article answers the question ‘what is e-waste’ and covers what we can do to limit this e-waste problem and some e-waste Australia facts.
The hazards of e-waste
To understand what e-waste is, you need to know what hazards it poses. It’s easy to think that e-waste is just old devices and appliances that are obsolete and end up in landfills. Not only is it untrue that e-waste is useless – as many materials in electronic products can be recycled and reused for new products – but it poses a threat to the environment and our health if it isn’t recycled properly.
It’s no secret that electronic waste can turn into toxic waste as it slowly builds up in our landfills. Electronics contain chemicals and compounds that cause environmental pollution. If these devices are disposed of in the wrong way, the toxic materials can leak out hazardous heavy metals like mercury, cadmium and lead which can seep into the surrounding soil and affect the groundwater.
Not only is non-recycled e-waste bad for the environment, but it’s also detrimental to human health. Flat-screen monitors, for one, contain mercury that may damage your brain and your liver. The cadmium and nickel content of batteries also pose a serious threat to your kidneys. Printed wiring boards, CRT screens, and batteries contain lead that may poison your body. Arsenic, beryllium, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) also carry health risks, which are all found within e-waste products. Even the plastic items you use daily may emit chlorinated dioxins and furan particles that weaken your immune system.
For daily use, electronics are safe and risk-free, but once you dispose of them the problems arise. In most cases, it would take high concentrations and long periods of exposure to these substances before you notice an impact on your health. You need to have an e-waste management plan in place, to prevent these materials from polluting your property’s perimeter and/or water source.
How to recycle e-waste?
The challenge of e-waste lies in the proper disposal of electronic products. Whether you’re a homeowner or business owner, you have to know how to safely dispose of electronic waste.
One good way of doing so is by having separate skip bins within your premises for different types of waste. Segregation may seem simple, but it goes a long way in keeping the hazards of e-waste at bay.
The good news is that many of the materials in old TVs, computers and white goods are recyclable, and contain valuable materials that can be used to make new products. This will ensure that those hazardous materials are disposed of safely, and valuable resources such as aluminium, zinc, gold and platinum can be recycled. CO2 emissions could be reduced by 23,000 tonnes if half of the TVs that are disposed of in a year were recycled instead.
Dispose of your e-waste with our skip bins
By hiring a skip bin through Kwik Skips you’ll be disposing of e-waste safely and responsibly. Our skip bins are suitable for old printers, TVs, stereos and other unwanted electrical items you may have laying around your home or office. These can be carefully placed in our skip bins with the confidence that we are following best practices when it comes to disposal and recycling.
Businesses typically have more electronics than a residence, so if you’re clearing out a large amount of e-waste from an old office or business space, hiring a skip bin is the most effective solution. The waste removal Perth experts at Kwik Skips will make sure that these devices are properly recycled.
We are all responsible for helping reduce our impact on the environment. As part of the Australian government’s initiative to tackle waste and recycling, the Product Stewardship Act 2011 was created to help reduce the amount of harmful waste ending up in landfills around Australia. As part of this legislation, TVs and computers were the first types of electronic products to be regulated. The team at Kwik Skips is fully committed to doing its part in these waste disposal and recycling services, catering to businesses, schools and residences around Perth.
We take environmental care seriously at Kwik Skips, ensuring that we recycle e-waste responsibly with our rubbish removal services, and skip bin hire in Perth, WA. Please note however that we do not accept batteries in our skip bins. If you need some electronic waste disposed of and recycled from your home or business, get in touch with our friendly waste disposal experts at Kwik Skips today at (08) 9528 2272.
If you already know what you need, you can head to our easy-to-use online booking page to order your skip bin today!