Autumn collection of electronic waste in Zerzeń
On Saturday, September 27th, together with the residents of Wawer, we said goodbye to summer and cleaned up the world. The Wawer community once again demonstrated their commitment and environmental awareness. At the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish parking lot in Zerzeń, we distributed beautiful plants and reusable bags in exchange for electronic waste and waste batteries, and those who visited our educational stand received brochures and leaflets with information on electronic waste and waste batteries.
Environmental education is always in demand!
Due to rapid technological development, both electric and electronic equipment becomes waste very quickly. This results in a constant increase in the amount of waste electronics, which is classified as hazardous waste due to the fact that they contain toxic substances which easily get absorbed into the soil, air and groundwater, thus polluting natural environment and posing a threat to health of both human beings and animals. Such substances are not hazardous when devices are used properly, however, they pose a threat if waste equipment and batteries are managed improperly. Furthermore, electronic waste and waste batteries are more than only hazardous substances, they are a source of valuable secondary raw materials. That is why it is so crucial to recycle electronic waste instead of taking it to the garbage dump or to the forest.
Recycling works
By recycling electronic waste, the ferrous and non-ferrous metals contained in that waste can be reintroduced into circulation as secondary raw materials. This allows to use resources that are already in circulation and significantly reduce the negative impact of the mining industry on the natural environment. Re-using copper, brass and aluminum does not degrade the quality of raw material, and recycling may be repeated virtually an unlimited number of times. Recycling of electronic waste also allows us to recover plastics, which after undergoing specialized processing may be reintroduced into the circulation. Manufacturing 1 kg of aluminum in the recycling process only consumes 10% of the energy that would have been consumed to extract this metal from natural resources. This shows how important it is to constantly educate society on how to deal with waste equipment properly, and local electronic waste collection campaigns provide a perfect opportunity to do so. We need to remember that each of us can decide whether future generations will be able to enjoy what nature has given us.
