Electronic Waste Recycling Day

In the modern world, there are not only trash cans that people use in everyday life, but also virtual baskets Computer and tablet users send unnecessary documents, letters, photos and audio files to them With a simple click of a button, the contents of the trash can are deleted Unlike virtual waste, recycling electronic waste in the form of outdated or broken household appliances is more difficult Sending gadgets for recycling helps preserve the planet's ecology This is what draws society's attention to Electronic Waste Recycling Day, which is celebrated on September 12th Devices and their components thrown away with solid waste pollute the environment, releasing toxic substances into the atmosphere and soil Plastic that is not scrapped decomposes in the ground from 200 to 1000 years, circuit boards, batteries and galvanic batteries - more than 100 years Household appliances and electronics contain such dangerous chemical elements as lead, cadmium, mercury, as well as compounds such as freon, polyvinyl chloride, etc The decay products of old laptops, televisions, PCs and smartphones poison the earth, air and water bodies, which negatively affects both the environment and on people's health Obsolete or broken equipment is disposed of at specially created recycling facilities In factory workshops, electronics are disassembled into components, rubber, metal and plastic waste is sorted, which are then sent to a shredder Reusing materials makes financial sense because mining and processing new raw materials, rare earth and precious metals, glass, steel and alloys, costs more than recycling Properly organized recycling of electronics at the state level makes it possible to create a circular economy and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill In 2019, 179 tons of garbage in the form of gadgets and other equipment were collected and processed on the planet, the rest went to landfills along with solid waste The results of the Global Electronic Waste Monitoring show that every year the world's population throws away 42 million tons of products And only a small number of gadgets are recycled, thereby reducing harm to the environment Attention to this global problem is attracted not only by environmental actions and events, but also by the legislation of a number of countries In some European countries and the USA, electronics are produced without the use of harmful chemicals, and new products are subject to a fee that goes towards organizing the recycling process In September 2023, another order was issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, which requires that at least 85% of waste from all discarded equipment be sent for recycling In the UK, the Royal Mint extracts gold and silver from old laptops and smartphones to make money Residents of the Land of the Rising Sun are also conscious of the environment and natural resources The Japanese willingly hand over faulty equipment and outdated electronics for recycling For the winners of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, more than 5,000 sets of medals were made from recycled materials - melted down precious metals Electronic Waste Recycling Day encourages people to follow the example of residents of Japan and other countries who are conscious about recycling devices and other equipment