HOW CAN REPAIRING YOUR OLD MOBILE PHONES AND COMPUTERS;
What is e-waste?
All the electronic products that are not needed anymore or at the end of their usefulness can be considered E-waste. Products ranging from mobile phones, computers, television, fax machines and other everyday electronic products fall into this category.
Finding the best way to dispose of such unwanted electronics is far from a new challenge, mankind is looking for the best way to get rid of E-waste since the ‘70s. But things are not the same anymore. E-waste produced today is far worse and the number of electronic devices discarded is way higher today as well. However, with proper steps and the right tools, it can be sustained by getting your old mobile phones repaired or computer repaired.
To understand how getting your old mobile phone repair or computer repair help reducing e-waste, the following points must be discussed:
Defining E-waste:
Any electronic or electrical equipment that’s been discarded is considered E-waste, including working or broken items that are thrown in the garbage. If these devices are donated to a charity or reseller should also be considered as E-waste because items that are not being sold, often end up getting thrown away. E-waste is considered very dangerous because of the chemical leech from the materials used to create these devices while buried. So instead of updating your phone every time your device gets some fault, you should check your device to the nearest mobile phone repair service centre. And see if you can get your mobile phone repaired, then it can be beneficial to you as well, as it can be a real money saver.
Some of the most common E-waste items:
Almost all of the home appliances from Microwaves, entertainment devices to heaters and fans fall into E-waste. Everything that you are surrounded by in your home for your entertainment is E-waste like DVDs, televisions or even video games and other machines like copiers and fax machines. Other electronic utilities to make you comfortable at your home are also harmful to the environment like massage chairs, heating pads, remote controls, lamps, and smart light.
However, modern E-waste is increased because of modern technology devices such as mobile phones, PC, monitors, Macbooks and tablets. This is where we can contribute and reduce E-waste. The simplest way could get a mobile phone repair and you can use it for a longer duration. Additionally, mobile phone repairing is always cheaper than purchasing a new one.
Need to upgrade devices for New Technology:
One of the major differences between past and present E-waste is, while back in the day E-waste was present, most of it was damaged or not working electronics and electrical waste. On the other hand, in the present day, a large amount of E-waste is not considered to be obsolete or products that are not in working condition.
We are living in the fastest evolving technological times, than any of our ancestors has ever seen. This results in technological advances so fast that a lot of electronic devices that are still working fine are considered obsolete.
Think of it like this, if someone is having a perfectly fine iPhone and then iPhone announces a newly upgraded mobile with a few new updates to the current devices. A lot of people with the perfectly fine phone will make this purchase and your old perfectly fine mobile phones will become E-waste.
Additionally, if there is a fault in the device and it can be fixed with a few replacements. No one has the patience in the modern day to wait and get that mobile phone repaired, instead the easy way out would be buying a new device.
And we care about this simply because, for more than half a century now, unwanted electronic devices have filled landfills across the world. In the UK alone, it is estimated that up to 60 million metric tons of E-waste end up in landfills every year.
The hidden toxic materials in E-waste:
There is a reason behind using the word hidden here. Mobile phones and other electronic devices are completely safe to use every day. Most of these devices include lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium for manufacturing, these materials pose a serious threat to our environment and damages everything from our soil, water air to even wildlife.
Most of the E-waste is buried at landfills and it starts to dissolve in microscopic traces. These dissolved materials eventually start spreading in landfills and grounds. And slowly the traces of such toxic materials pool into the ground below landfills. It is known as leaching.
As a result of the leaching, our groundwater gets polluted. More E-waste means more metals at the landfill, and this means more toxic materials to groundwater.
Adverse effects of leaching poisons in the environment:
One of the biggest issues is that there is a huge amount of E-waste out there and this brings a lot of trace amounts. It has serge to multiple folds over the years. The effects are so damaging now, that leaching does not limit to groundwater anymore. It has started affecting all the natural sources of fresh water in the surrounding area.
This means using a natural well is not safe, and it hurts the nearby wildlife as well. The reason being the unnatural amount of lead, arsenic and other poisoning minerals in the water, it also causes the wildlife to get sick.
E-waste:
In the era of rapid technological advancement and the constant need to keep ourselves upgraded, more electronic goods are being invented than ever before. As a result, the definition of E-waste will also most likely keep expanding.
There is absolutely no more suiting example of the expanding E-waste than pc, computers, laptops and mobile phones. New models are arriving for the mentioned even though the current one working perfectly fine. But the new device will always have some new feature that is too enticing to resist.
So in our opinion, the perfect answer to define E-waste would be “it depends”. But defining E-waste is not the big question. The real question should be how it can be prevented.
How you can help to reduce E-waste?
Fortunately for all of us, there are ways if not to prevent it then at least to reduce the E-waste. Recycling E-waste is the biggest weapon against E-waste and it can help everyone in so many ways. Recycling products means fewer mobile phones and other devices get into the landfills. As a result, reduced leaching and reduced damage to our water bodies. And we can save our environment and the health of wildlife and humans alike. Or working parts can be recovered from the otherwise faulty device and use for mobile phone repair or computer repair.
Additionally, we can replace the faulty parts from mobile phones or computers. So, instead of buying a whole new computer or mobile phone just get your old mobile phone repaired. A broken screen can be replaced with a new screen, a faulty speaker can be replaced by the new speaker or a faulty button can be replaced as well.
Virtually every part of any device can be either repaired or replaced if you want it to work. And if the product is completely dead, still it has materials like plastic, metals and glass which can be recycled and used to create a new device.
It is somewhat ironic that these devices are called “E-waste” if not all then most of the devices are not at all waste. Yet, they are thrown away.
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