English practice 15

An Argument for E-Waste Recycling

Drive through any suburb in the U.S. today, and it's hard to miss the bins, that have become companions⁶¹ to America's trashcans. Recycling has become⁶² commonplace, as people recognize the need to care for the environment. Yet most people's recycling consciousness is extending⁶³ only as far as paper, bottles, and cans. People seldom find themselves confronted with⁶⁴ the growing phenomenon of e-waste.

E-waste proliferates as the techno-fashionable constantly upgrade to the most cutting-edge devices, which⁶⁵ the majority of them end up in landfills. Activists who track such waste⁶⁶ estimate that users discarded nearly 2 million tons of TVs, VCRs, computers, cell phones, and other electronics in 2005. Unless we can find a safe alternative, this e-waste may leak into the ground and poison the water with dangerous toxins. Burning the waste also dangerous⁶⁸ contaminates the air.

Consequently,⁶⁹ e-waste often contains reusable silver, gold, and other electrical conductors. Recycling these materials reduces environmental impact by⁷⁰ reducing both landfill waste and the need to mine such metals, which can destroy ecosystems.

A growing number of states have adopted⁷¹ laws to prohibit dumping e-waste. Still, less than a quarter of this refuse will reach legitimate recycling programs. Some companies advertising safe disposal in fact merely ship the waste to third-world countries, where it still ends up in landfills.

Nevertheless, the small but growing number of cities and corporations that do handle e-waste responsibly represent progress and a real step forward⁷⁴ toward making the world a cleaner, better place for us all.