Bristol is Providing Electronic Goods to Ones In Need
[Photo from https://www.positive.news/society/the-city-giving-away-used-electronics-on-black-friday/]
Electronic devices like phones, earphones, computers, and tablets have become pervasive and essential in our daily lives. However, with the rapid growth of technology, more advanced products are being showcased and consumed by many customers, resulting in the wastage of older technologies with consumers throwing them away.
E-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams on the planet. Annually, we produce more than 50 million tonnes of e-waste, and it is only going to increase as electronic products become more accessible worldwide. E-waste contains a laundry list of harmful chemicals to us and the environment, like mercury, lead, beryllium, brominated flame retardants, and cadmium. Thus, when electronic waste is not appropriately handled, the harmful chemicals will end up in our soil, water, and air.
Meanwhile, Bristol made a novel approach to tackling e-waste and consumerism by restoring old electronic products and providing them to people in need. Bristol’s “Electric Avenue pop-up store” hands out electrical items donated by the kind citizens of Bristol. The products will be cleaned, repaired, safety checked, and ultimately diverted from landfills and recycling centres before being delivered to those in need.
The pop-up store is run by the environment charity Hubbub, the Bristol Waste Company and Ecosurety, and an environmental compliance firm. They have been going around the city to collect unwanted electronic items and convey to the people that second-handed electronics still have value while informing people about the impact of e-waste, raising awareness of this matter.
I am sure that many of you have electronic products at home that are not used for months or even years, but still have good value and functionality. After finding out about the problem of e-waste, let’s not leave them in a corner of your room piling dust and give them a new life to provide joy and merit to other households that need the product. Let’s not let this toxic waster stream grow larger!
References
https://www.positive.news/society/the-city-giving-away-used-electronics-on-black-friday/
https://recyclecoach.com/blog/an-intro-to-e-waste-why-its-a-problem/
