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New York City was scheduled this week to hold a hearing on a recycling proposal that would make television, computer and MP3 manufacturers take back their products after they’ve been used, according to the Newsday article.
It's a step in the right direction.
Computers, for instance, contain copper, gold, and silica, which can all be harvested and used again.
However, some 80% to 85% of "e-waste," as the paper called it, is simply discarded—and along with it lead, mercury, barium, cadmium and other potentially dangerous material.
But we gain more than just cleaner landfills by recycling our electronic gadgets.
Take the cell phone.
Today, less than 20 percent of unwanted cell phones are recycled each year, according to the EPA, which estimated 100 million to 130 million cell phones are unused and most likely just sitting in some storage bin. But if Americans recycled those phones, according to the EPA, it would save enough upstream energy to power almost 200,000 homes a year.
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