As technology becomes an ever-growing necessity in our lives, so does the amount of e-waste being generated in our environment. We are living in an informational and technological revolution, with new inputs generated every day.
New and faster internet, better ways to live healthy, better understanding of how to create a cure for cancer, and military advancements all have their downsides, and that is what is known as e-waste.
One of the fastest-growing waste streams, e-waste is only made possible by the idea of wanting the fastest, the newest, and the best tech products out there. Throwing away an old phone, laptop, TV, or any device can have either the same effect or possibly a worse effect as throwing away plastics. Those devices contain highly potent chemicals that are as bad for the environment as toxic waste is.
In order to slow down and eventually stop the stream of e-waste generating in the environment, you have to recycle your old devices. If you want a new device, many companies like Apple and Samsung recycle the parts, so trading in older devices can be beneficial to you and the environment. Most of the time, you can get money off the new device because you traded in an older model. Or, you can take the older device to a proper facility where they take in old devices to recycle and put back as new parts for newer models.
All in all, remember, throwing away old technology can be as bad and can have the disastrous effects of throwing away plastic.
-The Litter Challenge Team