News
Plastic Envelopes Key to Electronics Recycling
12/19/2008
An event currently worrying recycling-conscious organizations throughout the country is the impending switch from analog to digital-only television this February. Those that can afford it will be throwing out the old analog TVs—and an important environmental question is, where will they go? According to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) figures, only 18 percent of discarded televisions were recycled in 2007, contributing to an enormous and ever-growing problem of electronics disposal in a gadget-happy society.
Electronic items such as computers, televisions and cell phones contain elements very harmful to the environment, including lead, mercury, cadmium and bromide flame retardants. Chemical and metal compounds such as these, leaking from landfills into ground water, can cause cancer, birth defects and many other serious illnesses. Cell phones, of which only 10 percent were recycled in 2007, are becoming a serious problem in themselves due to their sheer numbers.
Because of these problems, recycling programs are becoming more plentiful and convenient. One leading cell phone retailer utilizes customized plastic envelopes made available at store locations; a discarded phone can simply be dropped in the envelope and sent to a recycling center. These Duralite™ envelopes are manufactured by PolyPAK America and are made from Rigur™ a material that, while extremely flexible and durable, is also manufactured from recycled materials and is itself recyclable once used. Such envelopes can be customized for any manufacturer with a full range of colors and styles, and encourage customers to protect the environment by taking advantage of an extremely easy recycling program.
According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the average household has an average of 24 consumer electronic products, consistently replaced with the latest models. Simple and effective recycling programs will continue to be key to ensuring that discarded items don’t become a horrific blight to the landscape and to general health.
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