5 Eye-Opening Reasons to Choose Certified E-Waste Recycling Agencies

Published on: 23 November 2020 Last Updated on: 15 June 2021
E-Waste Recycling

Let’s see if this situation sounds familiar.

You just bought the latest phone on the market. And, like any responsible citizen, you took the old gadget to an e-waste recycling center and deposited it. You walked out of the center confident that the old phone would be taken care of safely. You then forgot about the gadget altogether.

Well! The story doesn’t quite end there. And, if you are an environmentally conscious person, you may want to take a closer look behind the scenes to identify what happens to the redundant and used devices once they leave your ownership.

Did You Check for the Certification of the E-Waste Recycling Center?

Should you check this feature on MoneyCrashers, you will come across an interesting observation. Delivering your e-waste to a recycling agency does not guarantee safe disposal. That’s because many such centers use unscrupulous methods to get rid of the gadgets. While the measures they use may comply with U.S. e-waste management regulations, they could cause severe damage to the environment in other offshore locations. The only way you can get complete assurance that the old electronics will be taken care of the right way is if you deposit them at certified recycling centers.

Alternatively, you can exchange them at the original manufacturer. It might interest you to know that in the year 2015, Apple accepted and recycled 90 million pounds of electronic gadgets to extract usable materials. These materials included plastic, 6612 pounds of silver, 2.9 million pounds of copper, and 2204 pounds of gold.

Choosing a certified e-waste recycling agency when getting rid of old and used electronics ensures that your gadgets will not end up in landfills and pollute the environment around your hometown. But, that’s just one good reason. Here are 4 more.

1. Recycling Agencies Choose Supposedly Economical Methods for IT Asset Disposal:

Recycling Agencies Choose Supposedly Economical Methods for IT Asset Disposal

You might think that you’re doing your bit to help the environment by recycling cell phones and other devices. But, keep in mind that although the recovered materials are valuable, the recycling process is not exactly economical for regular agencies. Extracting metals for reuse involves a careful process using the right kind of equipment and trained personnel. To save on the expense of dismantling old gadgets and separating the useful materials, most agencies simply ship them off to third-world countries.

Would you like to know how the process works? Containers reaching the shores of the U.S. from Hong Kong and other vendor companies across the world are typically sent back empty after the goods are unloaded from them. In an attempt to cash in on the reverse transportation, the giant cargo boxes are now filled with used electronics and sent to Far East destinations under the guise of donations for philanthropic purposes.

2. Environmental Damage is Transferred to Third World Countries:

When the gadgets make their way to countries like China, Ghana, and India, unskilled laborers including young children burn them in giant pits. Once the process is complete, all that remains is the precious metals that are sorted out without any regard for the toxic materials in the ashes. These poisons like arsenic, bromates, lead, and cadmium not only leach into the soil and underground water, but also cause various illnesses among the people who handle them or live around the processing plants. To know more about the extent of the damage, read this article in the Smithsonian magazine.

If you’re looking for e-waste recycling procedures that protect the environment not just in your country, but also in any other location around the world, deliver your devices to certified agencies.

3. Irresponsible E-Waste Recycling is the Largest Cause of Data Breaches:

Should you work with a licensed recycling company, the expert professionals will make sure to dispose of the hard drives in them securely. They may use DoD-approved multiple overwriting or shredding protocols to erase the data and make it impossible to decipher.

Why is this important? According to PBS, The U.S. State Department has identified Ghana as the top sources of data leaks in the world. Hard drives from discarded electronics are easily available to hackers here at $35 apiece. Even novice cybercriminals can retrieve records of online transactions, credit cards, personal financial data, and various other kinds of sensitive information.

Enoch Kwesi Messiah is a computer scientist at the Regent University in Accra. He reveals, “I can get your bank numbers and I retrieve all your money from your accounts. If ever somebody gets your hard drive, he can get every information about you from the drive, no matter where it is hidden.”

A shocking incident reported in recent times involves the details of a government contract worth $22 million that were extracted from an old hard drive. When attempts were made to locate the source, it was traced back to Northrop Grumman, one of the military contractors of the country. The drive also held highly classified information about contracts with Homeland Security, NASA, and the U.S. defense intelligence agency.

Think about it! If government agencies can become the targets of millions of dollars worth of data breaches, your information is a much easier target.

4. Recycling Lowers Wastage of the Earth’s Resources:

Reusing gadgets and recovering reusable materials from them will help reverse some of the wastage of the earth’s resources. Should you check some of the statistics revealed by ThoughtCo., you will learn that the power saved by recycling a cell phone can run a laptop for 44 hours. If all of the 130 million phones annually discarded in the U.S. were recycled, the energy saved could power 24,000 homes for a whole year. Other than gold, silver, and copper, cell phones also contain palladium, platinum, tin, and zinc, all of which are metals that can be used and reused several times over simply by adopting the proper e-waste recycling methods.

Responsible e-waste recycling is now more about protecting the environment in your country. The problem has become so huge that you need to take a step back and carefully view the big picture. Saving the earth begins with every citizen who upgrades to a new gadget. Have you REALLY done your bit?

Read Also:

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related

headphones vs earbuds

Headphones vs Earbuds: How to Choose for the Best Music Experience

Are you looking for the best way to listen to your music? Most phones come bundled with a set of earphones but these are often of poor quality. The next step is to either buy a new set or to invest a little more for a headset. Which one is better? Choosing between headphones vs earbuds is a lot more complicated than some people think. Only a few people know this, but choosing the right extension enhances your experience tenfold than when you opt for the other choice. Your choice determines how comfortable you are, how deep and resonate the sounds are, and it affects portability too. Having a hard time knowing which one suits you better? Read what we have below to find out. We’ll help you find out which is better for you with the help of this earbud and headphone buying guide: 1. Earbuds: Despite the different types of earbuds though, they tend to follow a similar basic look. Earbuds are 2 devices connected to wires that extend to fill your ear canal. The way they extend into your ear canal aids you in hearing the bassline of what you’re listening to. This makes them perfect for people who enjoy listening to bass-heavy music nowadays. That’s not the only reason why most people tend to decide to buy earphones. Convenience is also another reason why most people prefer earphones. They’re small and easy to carry when you’re on the go. You can also put them away with ease as all you need to do is gather their wires and bundle them together. Speaking of wires, some of them don’t have them anymore. Since earphones are a popular choice among the general populace, a lot of research and development goes towards making them better for their users. This leads to many forms of wireless earbuds. Yes, it’s true that there may be complications in using wireless earbuds. There is no denying though that they give an unmatched experience when you’re listening to music with them. People love earbuds because they tend to be cheaper too. You can find high-quality earbuds for a fraction of the price headphones cost with ease. In fact, there’s a blog about the best earbuds that are below $10. Check it out now! 2. Headphones: Headphones often take up a big part of the user’s head when they wear them. This makes them bulkier than earbuds, thus harder to pack up and use on the go. The added bulk doesn’t come without some added features though. Instead of going into your ear canal, headphones rest around the outside of your ears. While you won’t be able to hear basslines as well with this setup, this allows acoustic sounds to become more accentuated. This makes them better for people who need to be attentive in listening to audio files for a project or for work. Like earbuds, there are also wireless versions of headphones. Bluetooth headphones tend to produce top of the line quality for sound. This makes them one of the top electronic gadgets to buy this year. Another reason why people love headphones is that they have a noise-canceling feature. Because they cover the entire outside of the ear, headphones guide the sound around them, reducing the ambient noise that users hear. This gives some people some degree of privacy as they feel like they’re in their own world. Make a Choice Between Headphones Vs Earbuds Today: Choosing between headphones vs earbuds can be a tough decision to make. Use our guide to help you find out which one is better for you. Get your own pair today! Why stop here? We’ve got other guides for you to read. If you’re not buying for yourself, then you’re likely buying for your nephew, niece, or child. This is because they’re a popular choice as gifts for children. Check out our guide to buying gadgets for kids to learn more about it. Read Also: Important Habits To Protect Your Ear Health And Hearing The 10 Best PC Gaming Desk Accessories In 2018

READ MOREDetails
Alexa device issue

How To Troubleshoot The Alexa Not Responding Issue? [Fixed]

Alexa is a virtual assistant, which works with an echo dot in order to fulfill all the demands of its users. With its thousands of attractive features, Alexa has made the life of its users super easy and also entertaining at the same time.  With its hi-tech features, Alexa can do almost everything from controlling smart home lights to set reminders, playing songs, jokes, news, quizzes, and much more things. But due to some reasons, you may find your Alexa not responding to the commands that you are giving it.  Do not worry if you are facing the Alexa not responding issue. Here we have the most effective and easiest troubleshooting steps to fix this issue.  Troubleshoot The Alexa Not Responding Issue: Here are the troubleshooting steps that you need to follow for solving the Alexa not responding issue with your echo dot. There are a bunch of reasons for what you may be facing this Alexa not working issue.  So, let’s head towards the troubleshooting steps.  1. Check The Microphone Button There are many instances when we find that the reason behind Alexa not responding is because the microphone is damaged or we forget to turn the button on. The microphone button is one of the most common reasons for this issue.  So, check the microphone button first. If the issue persists and it seems that everything is totally fine there. You can step to the next process.  2. Reboot The Device This is one of the most effective and easiest ways in the whole troubleshooting process of Alexa is not responding issue. There is not much trouble, all you need to do is just restart the device and the issue will get resolved. But this restarting has a definite name called power drain, and it is more than just powering off the power button and power on it again.  Here is the step-by-step guide for the power drain process. First, you need to check the power light. In case it is showing blue light, that means the device is able to hear you but simply the Alexa device is unresponsive to your commands.  Disconnect the power cable from the power source for at least 30 seconds. Wait for a little while, and after that, connect the power cord again with the power outlet. Now, when your device is ready completely, try to give it any command again. If the issue is resolved, then it is fine. But in case the issue of Alexa not responding continues, head to the next step.  3. Echo Dot Hard Reset In case the above described troubleshoot does not work for your echo dot. Here is the step-by-step guide to hard reset. You will find the reset button at the bottom of the device. You can use a pin to press the button. As soon as you press the button, the device will power off. Here, you need to wait for a little and then power the device on again. All the settings of the device will then reset to the original.  4. Disable And Enable Alexa Privacy If Alexa not responding after all the above-mentioned troubleshooting steps, now is the time to enable Alexa privacy and in order to do so, follow the below steps. You will find a button at the end of Alexa’s nucleus screen. You need to press the button. This button is to enable the privacy of Alexa. If you press the button again, the device will hear you again. Give a command to Alexa in order to check whether the issue is resolved or not.  5. Check Your WiFi Connection Behind the “Alexa not responding” issue, there is a huge chance that maybe your wifi connection is not working properly. That is why Alexa is finding it difficult to respond to your commands.  Well, let me tell you that if you do not have a proper internet connection, there will be no use for this Alexa device. So, check the router now. In case you find anything wrong, contact your network service provider.  6. Try Changing The Position  In case you have placed your echo dot device far from your router or in someplace where it is having issues connecting with the router. This can be the main reason why you are experiencing “Alexa not responding.”  Make sure that you are placing Alexa within the wifi range. The place should be accessible to yours as well so that your echo dot device can connect with the network properly and also can hear you clearly.  7. Set Echo And Smartphone On The Same Network Always keep in mind that the smartphone that you are using and Alexa have to be connected within the same network. In case they are connected with different routers or your phone is not connected with the router’s network, you will face the “Alexa not responding issues.” Connect both of them on the same router’s network in order to resolve the issue.  8. WiFi Congestions If you have connected a lot of devices within the same router’s network, it may create the “Alexa not responding” issue. Due to excessive wifi congestions, your echo dot is not able to respond to your given commands. Remove or disconnect some other devices, and then try to give your device command and check if the issue is resolved.  Still Alexa Not Responding? All the steps that I have told you in this troubleshooting guide are enough for resolving Alexa not responding to voice issue. But if you face the same problem after performing all the troubleshooting steps. You should contact Alexa customer care. Call on the Alexa helpline number and ask for help.  More Resources:  Benefits Of Having A Cordless Vacuum Cleaner At Home What is type c cable, and is it worth buying

READ MOREDetails
Laptop Stores

Location and Layout of Laptop Stores in UK

Society is developing fast. All kinds of shops emerge one after another. Good locations are quite different from bad locations. Gold shops can earn a lot of money. Shops with bad locations even cannot receive a single business. Location is important for electronics stores. So how to determine the location of the Laptop Stores in the UK? Let's take a look. We must understand laptop stores are different from maintenance shops. Maintenance shops can choose remote locations, while laptop stores cannot. It is not convenient for consumers to purchase. We know the rent of gold location is higher. But the sales performance can compensate for it. We can set up shops in prosperous shopping malls. Today, large shopping malls have become the only choice for young people. They can choose their favorite laptops while shopping. Consumers here also have after-sales services without worries. Besides the location, the overall decoration of laptop stores in the UK is decisive. A good decoration style can attract people's attention. The desire to buy will occur. There is a social survey about purchasing tendency. Consumers will prefer brand stores with unique decoration styles. Cleanliness is the top priority of a store. Definite cleanliness can win the trust of consumers. On the other hand, you can imagine a dirty store. How can it attract customers? Shops must set up a window to show their products to passers-by. It is more of a display of scientific and technological sense. It shows consumers the most popular products. The shop owner skillfully uses scenery and props. the background picture, appropriate lights, colors, and text descriptions are indispensable. Every consumer will browse the window before entering the store. A good window layout can introduce commodities, guide consumption, and promote sales. It can be an artistic masterpiece to attracts passers-by. The last is you should combine with Britain's custom. The decoration style of laptop stores needs to be elegant and luxurious. Consumers will identify the products by the decoration of one store. They may show no interest to whose decoration is mediocre or obsolescence. Those stores will lose many customers. The above is how to locate and decorate laptop stores in the UK. I hope this article can help you make a decision. Read More: How to Buy the Best Giant Screen Laptop Factory Refurbished Laptops: Why Would You Buy New?

READ MOREDetails