Environmental Impact Of Discarded Computer Hardware
The natural environment has long been at risk due to human activities. Many poisonous gases are released into the environment along with pollutants, which are non-renewable. The computer hardware also includes a part of this metal waste that is sometimes very carelessly dumped into the environment. |
The need to discard old motherboards and other forms of hardware has also arisen because of the developments that keep happening in innovations. New designs of computers and laptops make people want to buy the latest models and discard their old ones.
Used computer hardware contains elements like copper and lead. These are not harmful. But there are other more hazardous materials such as the mercury in fluorescent tubes, cadmium in laptop batteries, and lead in the circuitry. These are a cause of serious environmental concern along with concerns about human health.
Therefore, we must be very careful while discarding old hardware. There are organizations in America today, like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which comes out and provide assistance in and assessment of computer recycling. There is also the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool system, or the EPEAT, which helps buyers assess the environmental impact of old hardware. This is a division of the Green Electronic Council.
Apart from this, of course, we as individuals must also be concerned about the welfare of not just human health but also the harm to the environment that we may inadvertently be responsible for. We should come up with better options, such as donating an old laptop or computer to a school or church so that it is not discarded in the dump.
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