Stop Before You Throw That Phone Away

Improper disposal of electronic devices is harmful for both the earth and people alike. When electronics are not disposed of properly, chemicals such as lead and mercury end up littering landfills, leaking their hazardous chemicals into the soils, potentially reaching some of the deepest soils of the earth. Said chemicals, lead and mercury, are most notably known for their effects on a variety of living organism, human beings included. For it is through their ingestion into the earth itself that these chemicals can end up being reimplemented into nature through, reproduction, ingestions, or even something as simple as absorption.. Mercury, specifically, is a chemical that can deteriorate a developing or fully developed human brain and leading an individual to madness.  A perfect example of why the previously stated chemicals are associated with being extremely dangerous. It’s not just soil and human life that are directly affected, but more importantly ground water. Ground water is truly one of the few sources of drinking water available to most of the earths living inhabitants, which is scary to think about within itself because availability is become less abundant by the day and can be greatly contaminated by these harmful agents.

Furthermore, instead of leaving these products in landfills locally, the US send these devices to developing countries, countries with less resources, regulations, and even knowledge about how to properly clean up toxic soil providing even less availability to drinking water for the individual community facing such fears. This is not a local problem, but a global problem.

Source: https://www.allgreenrecycling.com/effects-of-e-waste-on-our-environment/

Photo: https://techfinancials.co.za/2018/01/24/recycle-refurbish-devices-reduce-environmental-impact-electronic-goods/