Sunday, July 3, 2011

Electronics Recycling Austin Helps To Create A Safer World

By Jeanette Parsons


Electronics have become a big part of our lives. If you do not have a cell phones or TV sets, others might think you belong in the middle ages. Yet these gadgets have their fifteen minutes of fame, and then they get replaced with newer and better models. These days many people change their cell phones every year and the new TV replaces the older one every two years. The dilemma they present is to get rid of the ones we not longer need. One option is through electronics recycling Austin.

Every day a huge amount of waste from electronics is being created. Environmentalists are concerned about the damage to the ecosystem and are appealing to people to e-cycle. This refers to reprocessing the components of the devices we use daily. These include cell phones, refrigerators, television, microwave ovens and so forth. Sometimes these items are dumped and add to the pollution of the environment.

This has the benefit of controlling e-waste. At the same time the products are numbered and checked for hazardous chemical materials which are present in the manufacturing process. These dangerous chemicals can mix with the water in the ground and create a risk to humans and animals if disposed in landfills.

There are not only toxic chemicals in these products, but also some fairly rare metals. Through recycling, the cost of mining these metals will be reduced. In a nutshell, converting the products into re-usable materials lessens the need for mining and cuts down on pollution of the soil and ground water.

Yet there are questions too that need to be asked. The have been highlighted recently as part of the debate about this issue. Manufacturers say it inhibits creativity. Instead of using the same old materials over and over again, new ones should be developed. This is the only way in which the industry can bring new items and improved equipment on the market.

Allegations have been made that recycling companies do in fact sometimes collect the old products just to dump them into landfills themselves. Another claim made by people who are against e-cycling, is that the components bring in profit for the recyclers. It is claimed that they export what is essentially waste to developing countries.

Recently a new development emerged in this industry. Some companies have started collecting and distributing the used equipment without charging any money for it. This is a step in the right direction, but the whole process should be monitored more closely. People should begin to understand what this issue is all about. Only if everyone does their bit, can electronics recycling Austin be truly successful.




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