This Wednesday, April 20th, 2011 the University of San Diego will be opening a new e-waste collection center. If you bring your e-waste in between 7 am and 7 pm, you will have a chance to win a FREE iPad.
E-waste can be any electronic device that is nearing the end of its life span. Considering the rate at which technology is evolving it isn’t surprising that the amount of waste in our landfills is mushrooming. The problem, besides the non-biodegradable nature of the waste, is that these items contain many toxic substances which leech into the surrounding soil, and eventually make their way into the water supply. These substances include lead, mercury, cadmium, beryllium, epoxy resins, PVC, and flame-retardants such as PCBs. These substances negatively impact not just the environment, but also plants, animals, and humans.
Scientists have started using a process called biomonitoring, which involves sampling urine, blood, and mother’s milk, to measure the amount of chemicals that are accumulating in humans. According to the Environmental Working Group, San Francisco-area women had 10 times the amount of chemical flame retardant in their breast tissue as European and Japanese women. Indiana women and children had levels 20 times higher than those in Sweden and Norway.
The benefits to e-waste recycling are many. Besides preventing toxic substances from entering the soil and water systems, many components can be reused in the production of new devices. Thus the need to mine new materials is reduced. This ultimately reduces the amount of natural resources used and the greenhouse gases produced in the manufacturing process. Also, many e-waste collection centers are involved in refurbishing items, thereby extending the life of electronic items and making them available to a larger portion of the population.
Find a list of accepted items at the SanDiego.edu/ewaste. For more e-waste recycling facilities in San Diego, visitRecycleSanDiego.org.
Read the original article here: http://www.examiner.com/green-business-in-san-diego/download-your-e-waste-here
