Electronics waste and their

effects
By
Sabahat Khurshid
16281506-078
Course title: Environmental Biology
Course code: BOT-406
To
Dr. Shamim Akhtar
 Electronics waste
• E-Waste, also called electronic waste, is the name for
electronic products that have come towards the end of
their “useful life.”
• This can include computers, monitors, televisions,
stereos, copiers, printers, fax machines, cellphones,
dvd player, cameras, batteries, and many more
electronic devices.
• Used electronic devices can be reused, resold,
salvaged, recycled or disposed.
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 Electronics waste
• E-waste has a horrible effect on the
environment and it is important to give your e-
waste to an R2 certified recycling facility.

• Here some important facts you need to know

about the environmental effects of e-waste.

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 Dangerous effect of E-waste
• Affects environment and human health.
• Common elements in E-waste:
• Cadmium
• Lead
• Mercury
• Nickel
• Arsenic
• Barium
• Beryllium
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 Effects of Electronics waste
• Computers and most electronics contain toxic
materials such as lead, zinc, nickel, flame
retardants, barium, and chromium. 

• Specifically with lead, if released into the

environment can cause damage to human
blood, kidneys, as well as central and
peripheral nervous systems.

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• When e-waste is warmed up, toxic chemicals
are released into the air damaging the
atmosphere. 
• The damage to the atmosphere is one of the
biggest environmental impacts from e-waste.

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• When electronic waste is thrown away in
landfills their toxic materials seep into
groundwater, affecting both land and sea
animals.
• This can also affect the health of the people in
the developing countries where most of the
electronic waste in dumped.

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 E-Waste's Impact on the
Environment
• The environmental hazards caused by
improper disposal of e-waste can be briefly
described as follows: 

• Air Pollution: Burning of wires release

hydrocarbons in the atmosphere. 

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• Water Pollution: Electronic devices contain
toxic metals like mercury, lead and lithium,
which when disposed of improperly, mixes
with ponds, lakes and groundwater.
• Communities that directly depend on these
sources of water then consume it unknowingly.
These heavy metals are hazardous for all
forms of living beings. 

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• Soil Pollution: These heavy metals enter the
food chain as they are absorbed by plants from
the soil.
• These metals not only destroy the plants, but
also are then consumed by other living beings,
leading to a poisonous food chain. 

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Ways to Reduce E-Waste and its Hazards

 Sell old Electronics:

• One of the best and easiest methods of reducing the
electronic waste footprint is to sell or donate your
electronic gadgets to those in need. 
• If you are planning on selling, you should be able to
easily find a buyer as they will have the opportunity
to purchase the same product at a much lower price
than if it were new. You get easy money while the
buyer gets a nice gadget.
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 Donate old Electronics
• Donating electronics to the needy is also a practice
followed by many. It not only gives the gadget a new
life, but also makes you feel good about yourself.

• If you decide to donate your old electronic devices

when you don’t need them anymore, make sure to
clear any information (like data in your laptop hard
drive) before you donate it.

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Recycle and Dispose of E-Waste Properly

• Improperly disposed e-waste is becoming more

and more hazardous, especially as the sheer
volume of our e-waste increases.
• For this reason, large brands like Apple, Samsung,
and other companies have started giving options
to its customers to recycle old electronics.
• Sometimes, you may even get financial
compensation for recycling your old devices.

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• Recycling old electronics allows the expensive
electronic parts inside to be reused. This can
save a lot of energy and reduce the need for
mining of new raw resources, or
manufacturing new parts.

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 Maintain your Electronics
• One of the best ways to save your money and
reduce e-waste is to keep your electronics well-
maintained, to increase its life.

Maintaining a Laptop or Computer:

• Make sure your PC’s hard drive or SSD doesn’t
get completely full. This allows it to keep
running smoothly and quickly for a long time.
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• Clean your computer often so that it doesn’t
get dirty.
• Whenever possible, try not to overcharge your
battery. This means unplugging your
charger before your laptop hits 100%, which
will improve your battery’s overall lifespan.

Maintaining a Mobile Phone:

• Use a phone case and screen protector so that
your phone doesn’t break when you drop it.

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• Similarly to laptops, keep your device clean
and don’t always fully charge your battery if
you don’t need to (This improves overall
battery lifespan).

• By maintaining your electronics, you save

money on having to buy new gadgets when
your old ones break down. You’re also keeping
electronics out of landfills by increasing the
total lifespan of your electronic devices.

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 Solutions to the E-Waste Crisis
• One solution is for electronics manufacturers to stop
using dangerous, hazardous materials when
constructing electronics.
• Another solution is for manufacturers to start taking
responsibility for the full life cycle of their
electronics.
• Things like taking back electronics for safe recycling,
disposal or reuse after they reach the end of the life
cycle.
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 What You Can Do To Limit E-Waste

• Support tech companies that offer eco-friendly

products or practices.
• Look up buyback programs in your area.
• Recycle your electronics after use.
• Think before purchasing new devices if you
don’t need them.
• Purchase previously owned, refurbished, or
remanufactured products.
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 Plant: Epipremnum aureum
• The plant has a multitude of
common names including: 
• golden pothos
• hunter's robe
• ivy arum,
• money plant 
• silver vine
• marble queen.
• It is also called devil's vine 

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