First International E-Waste Day

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Forum (WEEE) which is based in Brussels has announced the first annual multinational alliance International E-Waste day. October 13 has been declared the first international e-waste day and experts say that it couldn’t have come soon enough.

“International E-Waste Day will focus on raising awareness on e-waste issues and e-waste collection and recycling,” the group announced in a press release.

Why Is E-Waste Recycling So Important?

It often seems like we have “days” for everything. International Women’s Day, Arbor Day, National Cupcake Day, so why would e-waste be something that you would want to pay attention to? The sad fact of the matter is that the amount of e-waste people dispose of increases every year. How many electronic devices do you have in your home? Televisions? Phones? Gaming systems? Computers? All of these things have to be disposed of properly when their time has come, and often homeowners don’t know how to get rid of their electronic devices safely and properly.

Each electronic device is packed with raw materials. Many of the materials that you need to make computers and smartphones tend to be tricky, or difficult, to get. When you utilize e-recycling, you can recover the materials, including things like gold, from the devices which can then be used in other electronic devices. There are also often toxic materials in electronic devices, such as lead and mercury, which need to be disposed of properly in order to ensure that the environment stays safe. With proper e-recycling and disposal you can rest comfortably knowing that the materials are taken care of safely.

This international e-waste day will do much to bring attention to the serious situation of e-waste management, which will definitely help the environment.