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Shocking Environmental Impacts of E-Waste (and What You Can Do)

According to news reports, the United States produces more e-waste than any other country. Currently, we are responsible for 59 Million tons of e-waste, which means that we have a huge environmental issue!

But what is e-waste?

As the name suggests, e-waste is trash produced from electronic appliances and devices. But do you know that e-waste can be more dangerous than usual junk?

Here’s how e-waste negatively impacts the environment. Read up and find the steps you can take to minimize e-waste.

E-Waste Contaminates the Soil

One of the most significant effects of e-waste is soil contamination. Toxins from improperly disposed e-waste can enter the soil and contaminate underground water sources. Animals that drink this water risk incurring significant neurological damage over time. However, aquatic animals that live in water contaminated by e-waste suffer the most.

Besides harming wildlife, contaminated soil can also negatively impact plants and agricultural growth. It’s a whole cycle where humans and animals consuming these plants also have to bear the negative impact of e-waste.

It Causes Air Pollution

E-waste might cause severe land pollution, but that’s not all! When e-waste is improperly disposed of and left in landfills, it ends up getting burned. When an electric appliance or a smart device catches fire, it releases harmful toxins into the air.

The toxins directly impact wildlife, plants, and animals in the same area. However, they also spread through the air, causing large-scale air pollution. Due to this, millions of people have to breathe in contaminated air that causes various respiratory health problems.

E-Waste Drains Limited Resources

It’s not a secret that humans are dependent on electronic items. From refrigerators and televisions to smartphones, we can’t spend a day without electronic devices. Many of these electronics are made from valuable metals that have limited reservoirs on the earth. For instance, most electronic devices have rare earth metals like lanthanum and cerium.

Therefore, when we throw these electronic devices away instead of reusing or recycling them, we drain limited metal resources on earth. When new products are created, manufacturers have to look for these metals again, which is a huge waste! Moreover, metal extraction and mining is a dangerous process, putting the lives of many miners at risk.

How to Minimize E-Waste?

The harmful impacts of e-waste demonstrate a need for everyone to minimize electronic waste as much as possible. Here are a few steps you can take to decrease e-waste.

  • Invest in eco-friendly electronics. They don’t release toxins into the air post-disposal.
  • Use your appliances and smartphones for as long as possible. Don’t switch often.
  • Donate used electronics to charities that can reuse them.
A washing machine with laundry items in a laundry room

With the help of these tips, you can minimize the environmental impacts of e-waste. At Junk Daddy, we offer e-waste disposal in Orlando. Our hauling services in Orlando remove used appliances from your house and donate them to chariti. However, if they aren’t working, we dispose of these appliances using eco-friendly methods to decrease toxin release.

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