The history of electronic waste disposal generally began in the mid 70s. Since 1976, with the passage of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), it has been illegal to dump e-waste in the United States. Since the Basel Convention in 1989, it has been likewise illegal to dump e-waste in less developed countries. Since it became illegal to dump e-waste in many areas in the world, a new solution had to be developed in order to properly deal with electronic waste disposal. This has led to the practice of legally and cleanly recycling worn out electronic equipment.
Dumping e-Waste in the world’s oceans has led to international laws
A series of international incidents took place in the 1980s that led directly to the passage of legislation regarding the dumping of e-waste. One of the most publicized incidents involved a Liberian ship called the Khian Sea. This ship was hired to cart away 14,000 tons of incinerated e-waste ash from the city of Philadelphia. The ash was originally bound for New Jersey, but authorities there refused to receive it. As a result, the ship headed southward for the Caribbean, dumping 4,000 tons of ash there. The rest was ultimately dumped at various places as the ship headed for Southeast Asia.
Public outcry over this incident led directly to the above mentioned Basel Convention. As a result of this historic convention, laws regarding the safe disposal of e-waste were adopted. These laws remain binding to this day. This is the main reason that the recycling industry has grown from a mere local hobby to a large and lucrative industry.
The need for electronic waste disposal has led to a whole new industry
Since the time of the Basel Convention, the need for safe and efficient electronic waste disposal has led to the creation of a whole new industry. This is the recycling industry, which is devoted to taking out reusable parts from discarded electronic equipment items. These reusable parts are then recycled for the benefit of local businesses. This is an entire new industry that creates jobs for thousands of workers all across the world. The work done by these electronic recycling companies have been instrumental in saving many local environments from serious harm.
Electronic waste disposal is an issue that affects millions of people
Proper e-waste disposal is an issue that has consequences far beyond the reach of your local environment. You need to know that old computers, cell phones, monitors, and other bits of electronic equipment all contain ingredients that are toxic to the environment. As a result, when you simply dump them into a landfill or nearby body of water, you are doing a truly heinous thing. How would your customers react if they knew that you were poisoning their local environment with toxic ingredients, such as chromium, radium, and beryllium? The damage done to your reputation could be fatal.
Where can you go for first class electronic waste disposal in atlanta?
When you need professional electronic waste disposal in Atlanta, contact Ecycle Atlanta to receive state of the art e-waste disposal with a full guarantee of quality. Dealing safely with old and outdated electronic equipment means knowing how to extract the reusable items. This is an activity that is best left in the skilled hands of experts. Ecycle Atlanta will gladly work with your business to pick up your discarded items. Call Ecycle Atlanta today for more details.
