Ewaste: What Is It And How Can You Dispose Of It?

In recent years, e-waste has become of grave concern in Australia. This type of waste covers a vast assortment of electrical gadgets, equipment and appliances that have become obsolete. With technology evolving at such a fast-paced rate, the e-waste that is produced by households is growing exponentially. As a result, landfills are becoming filled with this waste, which is hazardous or the environment. Read on to find out what is contained in e-waste and what would be the best way to dispose of these materials.

What is contained in e-waste?

The reason why e-waste is so damaging to the environment is that it contains a broad range of components. In years past, one of the primary concerns regarding landfills was the accumulation of plastic. Ewaste, on the other hand, contains more than plastic. Most of the electrical components that end up being discarded in the bin due to malfunctioning or becoming outdated include mobile phones, electric cables, toasters, microwaves, televisions and more.

These items do not only contain plastic but also comprise materials such lead, copper and battery acid, which will not degrade. Instead, they end up poisoning the environment as they have toxic compounds in them. As such, it is prudent to ensure that e-waste is eliminated through proper channels to make sure that you are not increasing your carbon footprint.

How do you dispose of e-waste?

For e-waste to be properly disposed of, it needs to be broken down into the different components that it is made up of. For example, smartphones will be deconstructed so that any recyclable materials can be salvaged and reused while the remaining materials eliminated duly. This sorting of the e-waste is of particular importance for items that contain batteries and metals inside them. Although skip hire is primarily opted for when eliminating organic and construction waste, it is one of the best options when getting rid of e-waste too.

Skip hire providers will classify this as hazardous materials so may charge extra to eliminate this type of waste, but you get peace of mind knowing that your waste materials are not contributing to environmental degradation. Some of the additional benefits of choosing skip hire include:

  • Your waste is collected right from your residence, saving you the time you would have spent visiting a recycling plant on your own.
  • Your waste is sorted through professionally, ensuring that dangerous materials do not end up in landfills.
Share