Electronic landfill ban is growing in the US – North Carolina promotes the recycling of electronics

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When most people think of recycling, they imagine sorting out trash to put away plastic bottles, glass containers, and paper products with the classic triangular recycling logo. While these materials have long been the most widely recycled material, there is growing awareness of the need to consider recycling electronics as a key part of green living. In fact, an increasing number of states have banned electronic waste from landfills and are promoting electronics recycling programs.

Many home electronic devices can be recycled, including; cell phones, televisions, computer monitors, computer hard drives, keyboards, telecommunications waste, servers, circuit boards, power supplies, CD players, digital cameras and many other items. This long list of e-waste presents a new opportunity to drastically reduce the amount of waste produced by modern society in the course of everyday life. While recycling e-waste presents a great opportunity, it also poses a huge potential threat if ignored. For example, televisions with a CRT display (classic televisions) contain an average of four to eight pounds of lead. When discharged into landfills, lead from these units can be absorbed into the ground, making the soil and groundwater toxic. This process causes irreparable damage to the environment as well as to our own critical life resources.

On July 1, 2011, North Carolina became the 18th state in a union to impose some sort of ban on electronics from being disposed of in landfills. North Carolina residents now need to recycle their old televisions and computers. This prohibition covers all computer components, including; monitors, processors, laptops, printers, fax machines, scanners, mice and keyboards. The ban also covers all televisions, including; flat screen, cathode ray tube and projection televisions.

While the ban is intended to prevent citizens from throwing their e-waste in their trash, the state has no intention of attacking people for not complying with the rules. A new law will apply in landfills and entrepreneurs will be responsible for rejecting waste containing prohibited items. The enforcement of this new law presents officials with additional challenges as the motivation of landfills to comply can only be assessed on a case-by-case basis. . In addition to landfill management, taking the initiative to do the right thing; there is little stopping them from going about their business as usual.

In addition to the benefits that this new law brings to the people of North Carolina and the rest of the United States, the law represents a growing trend in public awareness and action by leaders in the country to bring Americans into a new era of ecology. responsible life. And while we are making great strides towards reversing the damage we have done over the past 50 years, other countries such as China and India are undergoing technological revolutions and will soon face the same problems that we are now looking for solutions to this country.

It is our responsibility as technology leaders to show other nations that there is a productive way to live responsible lives and that this way of living can go hand in hand with economic health and prosperity. As our recycling industry grows and contributes to the country’s economic growth, people’s eyes open to new opportunities. People are constantly given the opportunity to live a responsible life while enjoying the many benefits of a high-tech lifestyle. .

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Source by Marcus Montoya