John F. Clark 
E-Waste, or Electronic Waste, refers to the discarded electronic and electrical gadgets. These wastes can be hazardous if disposed of unattended without segregating the ones that can be recycled. Recycling is one of the best measures to keep the environment sustainable and to prevent land pollution. The disposed waste contains many toxic and hazardous substances like lead, mercury, cadmium, copper, iron, plastic, nickel, etc. It can be hazardous for the soil and animals if they ingest it.
It is always advised to recycle electronic gadgets like televisions, computers, radios, etc., which can be easily recycled. One should follow the 3 R’s, i.e., Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle the electronic waste rather than directly dumping it with garbage. The most hazardous materials are CRTs (Cathode Ray tubes), which should be checked before dumping them in the garbage. The plastic coverings of electronic goods contain polyvinyl chloride, which is very harmful too. Most municipal solid waste comprises electronic waste and is the main cause of the death of street animals that feed on them. When these electronic items are disposed of in landfills, their toxic, hazardous constituents enter the groundwater and affect the food chain. There is a host of benefits of recycling E-Waste. Some of them are as follows:
- Minimize pollution:
Now say no to pollution with the recycling of electronic waste. These toxic chemicals from electronic waste were hazardous to the water bodies, soil, and even groundwater, causing water pollution, land pollution, soil pollution, etc. These toxic elements can cause serious ailments and disorders in the body, too.
- Environment friendly:
Recycling can help protect the environment in many ways. The harmful substances from electronic waste can be hazardous when it comes to the environment. All the lighting uses fluorescent bulbs and tubes, which have toxic mercury. When recycled, this mercury can be reused again for many purposes, like dental amalgam, etc.
- Conservation of natural resources:
With the recycling of electronic waste, energy and natural resources are conserved. The recycling of older products helps make new products from old materials, preventing pollution, emission of greenhouse gases, disturbance in the food chain, saving energy, etc., by utilizing fewer raw materials from the earth’s surface. Thus, it helps preserve non-renewable natural resources like copper, iron, aluminum, gold, and many other metals by not extracting them from the earth’s surface.
- Saves Landfills:
The recycling of E-waste saves unnecessary landfills and dumping sites. The spaces will be rendered free now, which were earlier used for landfills and dispose of electronic waste and gadgets. Those areas can be well used now for other purposes, like the construction of houses or agriculture.
- Employment:
E-waste management is a solid, growing industry worldwide these days. It gives jobs and employment to many people who want to contribute to their environment. It is through the organization that one is contributing to social and environmental growth. With increased awareness about the environment and its resources, a lot many prospective employees are coming forth. There are many good workplace policies, too, along with employment.
Electronic items are trendy these days, but they only come when they are disposed of without thinking. Recycling is one of how this electronic waste can be reused without causing harm to the environment.
