Why Recycle Computers?

In today's world you often here of recycling to go green, save the environment, and contribute to a more eco friendly society. It may seem like a trend and get annoying and preachy at times but what it really is about is protecting your environment and your health. Recycling is very important to keep our landfills free from overflowing and keep harmful things from ending up in them, which ultimately end up in our water supplies. It is important to do your part to recycle especially when it comes to electronics and more specifically computers. Electronics and computers that are no longer used are referred to as e-waste. This type of waste is a growing sector of waste in today's landfills and is only expected to rise dramatically over the next few decades. The recycling of computers drastically cuts down on the number of harmful ingredients in landfills. Computers are full of harmful chemicals and metals that if left in a landfill will end up the in water supply which not only damages the environment but human life itself.

As technology advances more and more with the times, so does the obsoleteness of old computers and technological devices. These old computers end up getting thrown away and end up in landfills polluting the environment. What most people don't consider is those computers actually are made up of harmful components which can harm the environment. Computers are often made up of and contain heavy metals such as antimony, silver, chromium, zinc, lead, tin, copper and mercury. Monitors also contain lead to protect users from exposure to radiation, which is very toxic. Other harmful things computers contain are cadmium and mercury, both very dangerous. If these things end up in the water supply and ecosystem imagine the havoc they could wreck on the earth, human and animal life.

It is our responsibilities as consumers to handle e-waste responsibly. This means recycling out of date computers and all used electronic devices. Keeping our planet healthy by recycling responsibly means keeping our lives healthy and the lives of our children and the next generations free from harm. Over the next few decades it is predicted that more and more computers will be thrown into landfills. It is important not to contribute to that number. Do the right thing and find a place to responsibly recycle your electronic devices which are no longer in use.

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