October 14th is International E-Waste Day!

♻ It’s International E-waste Day! It’s not the most glamorous topic to chat about, but it’s one that's incredibly important. International E-waste Day’s primary aims are to raise awareness about the harmful environmental effects of discarded electronics and to encourage recycling.

📱 Many of us will happily put paper and plastics into our recycling bins, but how many of us know what to do with our old phones or broken laptops? While 95% of e-waste can be recycled, only around 17% is.

🌎 This means that many of us aren’t disposing of our electronic waste correctly, so campaigners are using International E-waste Day to encourage individuals, businesses and governments to take responsibility for managing e-waste sustainability.

🤯 Around 50 million tons of e-waste is generated annually, which is expected to double by 2050.

📺 E-waste can include old smartphones, laptops, TVs, and kitchen appliances, but what do we do when our technology is no longer useful to us?

🛑 There are several reasons why inappropriate disposal of electronic items is problematic, especially when those things end up in landfills.

🐟 Firstly, toxic chemicals like mercury, cadmium, and lead can seep out of the devices into soil or water, causing problems for local communities and threatening plant and animal life. When electronics are incinerated, there’s a real danger of toxic chemicals being released into the air.

🥇 Electronic waste also contains precious metals like gold, silver, and copper, which are environmentally intensive to mine. When unwanted electronics are recycled correctly, these materials can be recovered and reused in other products. When they go straight to landfill, the materials are lost. There’s genuine concern that manufacturers will struggle to find enough of these precious metal components to satisfy demand.

😖 Often, it’s not that people are inherently opposed to recycling electronic items, but rather that they lack the knowledge of how to do it. It can be inconvenient, too. This is why recycling e-waste must be made much easier to do.

✅ Use certified e-waste recycling facilities: Always ensure your e-waste is disposed of at certified facilities. Some manufacturers will also take electronics back or offer a reward as part of a trade-in program. Some shops provide a like-for-like drop-off even if you didn’t buy the original item from them.

✅ Try to repair broken electronics before replacing them.  If an item isn’t broken, consider whether you need to upgrade your electronics.

✅ Donate or repurpose old electronics: If your device still works, consider donating it to a charity or passing it on to someone in need. This extends its life cycle and keeps it out of landfills.

✅ Support manufacturers with sustainable practices