University of Utah to Collect E-Waste on April 11
The first electronic waste collection event of the season is on the books! As you are spring cleaning, make sure to set your old electronics aside and bring them to this April 11th event.
By Ayrel Clark-Proffitt, Sustainability Resource Center
The laptop on which I am currently typing may seem innocuous, but that is only its exterior. Inside, it is full of circuits and wires that contain heavy metals and chemicals such as lead, cadmium, chromium, and plenty of other nasty stuff (HowStuffWorks).
Sure, my laptop is safe to use, but if it is discarded in a landfill, all those hazardous materials have the potential to leach into the ground and even water supply. Electronic waste, or more often called e-waste, accounts for three-quarters of heavy metals in U.S. landfills. Without coordinated e-waste recycling efforts and even regulations, that number is likely to increase. In 2009, the EPA reported that U.S. residents discarded 2.37 million short tons of e-waste, an increase of 120 percent over 10 years earlier. Only about 25% of that e-waste was collected for recycling.
For reference, 2.37 million short tons is…
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