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A microwave is mostly made of steel, iron, glass and plastic, while also including copper and aluminum from the electric components

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Iron extraction uses a lot of energy and causes air pollution in the form of nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. The waste made of heavy metals and acids contaminates water, and this polluted water is thrown into rivers and lakes.

Copper and aluminum mines require a big terrain to function, which leads to mass deforestation and intense excavation, dislocating many animals. They use a lot of water in the processes of refining and the residue (anything that is not the metal) can contaminate nearby bodies of water and the soil around the mine. They also cause massive amounts of pollution, from vehicles, road construction and from the mining of the metal itself, which can intoxicate humans.

The mining of metal can cause accidents too. According to the Global Atlas of Environmental Justice, a copper mine in China suffered an accident in May 2023.

https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/planet-earth/mining/environmental-impact-of-steel-production

https://federalmetals.ca/how-does-copper-mining-affect-the-environment/#:~:text=Excavating%20boulders%20from%20deep%20underground,chemicals%20that%20pollute%20the%20air.

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Glass production uses mostly silica, a natural resource, which is harnessed from sand. The mining of sand can cause a lot of environmental damage, which include land degradation and loss of biodiversity. Also, according to the UN, sand is being extracted more quickly than it can replenish itself.

The process of making glass involves melting the materials together, which takes up to 75% of the process' entire energy consumption. It also emits loads of CO2, since the melting furnace has to be heated to 1,500 Cº.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230427-glass-or-plastic-which-is-better-for-the-environment

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The number of microwaves sold per year around the world ranges from around 150 million to 200 million of units.

The process of transporting these microwaves emits sulfur dioxide, a highly toxic gas, from diesel generators, trucks and other equipment.

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The consumption of goods (in this case, microwaves) can cause environmental impacts in different places; that is, this stage has no impacts by itself, but it's the crucial stage that intensifies all the others.

In this stage, the concept of demand is really important. It rules the whole process and, if the demand is high, it boosts up the extraction, transformation and transportation. As in the video "The Story of Stuff", it is the golden arrow.

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Steel production requires large amounts of coke (a sort of coal) which is extremely damaging to the environment. Coke ovens emit air pollution such as naphthalene that is highly toxic and can cause cancer.

Water disposed after the process of consuming this coal is also highly toxic and contains a number of carcinogenic organic compounds (that is, causes cancer), as well as cyanide, sulfides, ammonium and ammonia.

Source: https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/planet-earth/mining/environmental-impact-of-steel-production

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Plastic production has an infamous reputation for being highly polluting. Plastic is a polymer, made from fossil fuel-based chemicals. From all fossil-fuels, oil is the most used for plastic production, and as we know, fossil fuels are non-renewable resources.

Oil extraction can have a lot of environmental impacts, from oil spills, to damaged biodiversity, to disturbed ecosystems. It can contaminate the oceans, the ground, forests and pollute it all.

https://plasticseurope.org/plastics-explained/how-plastics-are-made/

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/oil-and-the-environment.php#:~:text=Exploring%20and%20drilling%20for%20oil,clearing%20an%20area%20of%20vegetation.

https://www.wilderness.org/articles/blog/7-ways-oil-and-gas-drilling-bad-environment

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Maritime transportation involves large cargo ships, which run on burning fuel. These fossil fuels, when burnt, emits CO2, and lots of CO2 are emitted when the vehicle in question is a large container ship.

Ground transportation involves the use of trains and trucks, which also burn fuels to move, such as diesel, ethanol and gasoline. Air transportation involves planes, which, again, burn fuel to move.

All of these methods of transportation, in larger scales, emit high amount of CO2 into the atmosphere, contributing to the global pollution and climate change.

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A study made in 2012 in the United Kingdom found that of 189 microwaves that were in waste collection centers, 54% had been thrown away without any serious defects.

https://manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/saving-the-planet-one-microwave-at-a-time/

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For recycle of microwaves, it is recommended to look for an appropriate collection point for electronic waste. If you can't find it, a good alternative would be to treat the devices as recyclable waste.

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Glass can be, and is, crushed and reused in the process of making more glass.

However, if it's not recycled, it can lead to problems. Glass takes roughly 4,000 years to decompose naturally, and if used only once, can take up to a milllion years.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230427-glass-or-plastic-which-is-better-for-the-environment

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772416622000201

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Plastic, as glass, can be recycled. However, hundreds of tons of plastic get dumped in oceans and seas every year.

Only 9% of plastic in the world is recycled, and the 91% that isn't gets dumped and will stay dumped for about 450 years.

The worst part is that the plastic that goes to the ocean is eaten by animals, who mistaken it for food. Really tiny pieces of the plastic, called microplastics, can detach and enter an organism, poisoning it and increasing its mortality. And we humans already live with it: microplastics have been found in fish and other seafood, and are likely to be even in land-based meat, like beef or chicken.

https://chariotenergy.com/blog/how-long-until-plastic-decomposes/

https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution?insight=only-a-small-share-of-plastic-gets-recycled#key-insights

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2024/01/12/microplastics-fish-chicken-tofu-protein/

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About 40 percent of all steel produced is created through recycling. Steel is the most recycled material in the world and can be recycled forever. 60 percent of steel is recycled but because more steel is produced than scrapped, recycled steel makes up about 40 percent of the total amount of steel produced.

https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/planet-earth/mining/advantages-of-recycling-steel

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Steel recycling avoids almost 950 million tons of CO2 emissions, 1 billion tons of iron ore, and the energy equivalent to burning about 280 million tons of coal (compared to producing the steel from mining of metal ore).

https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/planet-earth/mining/advantages-of-recycling-steel

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According to this report (link inside the page), the recycling rates of copper, aluminum and iron are over 50%. However, when part of electric components, which is the case with microwaves, they are more difficult to recycle.

Also, electronic waste, or e-waste, can include toxic materials, such as lead, cadmium and beryllium, which through contact with UV radiation or physical corroding, can break free and contaminate the soil, water and air.

https://earth.org/what-is-e-waste-recycling/

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What Is E-Waste Recycling and How Is it Done? | Earth.Org

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E-waste recycling is the process of extracting valuable materials after shredding the e-waste into tiny pieces that could be reused.