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As a nation, Singaporeans are pretty conscious about recycling paper and plastic products. However, when it comes to electrical and electronic items, most of us are pretty clueless. According to a Straits Times article in 2015, “Singapore is churning out 60 million kilograms of electronic waste (E-waste) every year — more than the combined weight of 220 Airbus A-380 aircrafts.”
What is E-Waste?
E-waste is mostly made up of metal and plastic parts and generally fall into the following categories:
Responsible disposal
The best way to dispose E-waste is via recycling programmes. E-waste products contain small amounts of heavy metal, which can lead to environmental problems if they are not processed properly. Recycling also helps conserve our planet’s natural resources and reduce mining-related pollution. As E-waste consists of various components, specialised equipment in controlled environments is needed to take them apart, shred and then extract the materials—plastic, metal, glass and precious metal—that can be turned into new products. For instance, almost 100 per cent of a mobile phone’s components can be recycled to generate energy or make new products, such as electronics.
Where to recycle