https://padlet.com/wk48366/mpxeu0p50dsycjqb en-us 2023-03-29 16:03:07 UTC 2023-05-01 15:10:31 UTC hello@padlet.com wk48366 https://padlet.com/wk48366/mpxeu0p50dsycjqb/wish/2573325197 The first computers were made in the early 1940's but there wasn't too much e-waste since there weren't that many computers. E-waste started to become a bigger problem around the 1970's since more people started to have electronics and would throw them away. Since electronics are getting more and more popular there is more e-waste being made. Today, e-waste is a big environmental problem but it also provides some jobs.

]]> 2023-05-01 03:01:38 UTC https://padlet.com/wk48366/mpxeu0p50dsycjqb/wish/2573325197 wk48366 https://padlet.com/wk48366/mpxeu0p50dsycjqb/wish/2573326333 The main environmental problem with e-waste is old devices being thrown away because they are broken or unwanted. Due to lots of devices being dumped into landfills, mercury and lead which are both toxic can leak into soil and water and contaminate it. This can mess up animals' habitat and kill some of the animals where the area got contaminated. Electronics also contain non-renewable resources such as gold, copper and platinum which there is a limited amount of. When we throw away these materials without recycling them, we are losing limited materials that we will eventually run out of. Lots of e-waste comes from throwing away old electronics like phones, laptops and TVs that are still working or can be repaired easily. Since people are constantly buying new technology all of their old stuff that they don't use is thrown away which leads to a lot of waste being created. The UK and US are some of the biggest producers of e-waste and about 50 million tons of e-waste is created every year worldwide. Little e-waste actually gets recycled and the rest goes to landfills. 

]]> 2023-05-01 03:03:06 UTC https://padlet.com/wk48366/mpxeu0p50dsycjqb/wish/2573326333 wk48366 https://padlet.com/wk48366/mpxeu0p50dsycjqb/wish/2573810124 There are a lot of negative human impacts of e-waste but there are a few things that some people think are positive. A lot of companies send their electronic waste to poor countries and big scrap businesses are in poor parts of Africa and China. Recycling computers is an option but it takes a long time and often small villages and children have to sort through all the pieces so there are some ethical questions about it. It can also be dangerous and expose the workers to toxic chemicals.  As a result of recycling old electronics, it provides jobs in places with little jobs. Many countries repair and sell e-waste to other countries for money which creates jobs,  therefore, if there is no e-waste or very little then it will take away a lot of jobs. If batteries in devices get damaged they can explode in garbage trucks and recycling centers. The lithium batteries help make electronics thin and fast. They are hard to remove and expensive though so it's another reason recycling old devices can be hard. A lot of e-waste is repaired and reused in poor countries.]]> 2023-05-01 14:44:58 UTC https://padlet.com/wk48366/mpxeu0p50dsycjqb/wish/2573810124 wk48366 https://padlet.com/wk48366/mpxeu0p50dsycjqb/wish/2573813425 E-waste is a big problem and will be hard to solve but there are things that we can do to reduce e-waste. Since much e-waste is thrown away without actually being broken, one solution could be repairing the device. Many stores will also take back old electronics from their same brand so you can return it to them. Another solution is waiting to buy a new device. Lots of people just buy all of the newest phones, computers and stuff but they don't actually need it. This creates a lot of waste because people throw away their old devices even when they still work. These are good individual things you can do to help but we also need solutions on a bigger scale like laws being passed. Even though it's expensive and a little hard to recycle e-waste, it's still a good solution. California passed a recycling law in 2003. This law created a system of payments that prevented most video devices from being put into landfills. Laws like this will help there be less e-waste overall. If states and electronic companies all make rules and regulations that help prevent e-waste there will be less e-waste over time. Everyone can also take little steps to make less e-waste.

]]> 2023-05-01 14:47:29 UTC https://padlet.com/wk48366/mpxeu0p50dsycjqb/wish/2573813425 wk48366 https://padlet.com/wk48366/mpxeu0p50dsycjqb/wish/2573821072 2023-05-01 14:53:56 UTC https://padlet.com/wk48366/mpxeu0p50dsycjqb/wish/2573821072 wk48366 https://padlet.com/wk48366/mpxeu0p50dsycjqb/wish/2573826785 2023-05-01 14:59:02 UTC https://padlet.com/wk48366/mpxeu0p50dsycjqb/wish/2573826785 wk48366 https://padlet.com/wk48366/mpxeu0p50dsycjqb/wish/2573838978 2023-05-01 15:09:41 UTC https://padlet.com/wk48366/mpxeu0p50dsycjqb/wish/2573838978