The Benefits of Recycling Heavy Metal

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, hazardous wasted reuse, recycling, and reclamation (recycling precious metals) can avoid environmental hazards, protect natural resources, and reduce the nation's reliance on raw materials and energy. Loads of electronic products are made these priceless natural resources such as heavy metals, other metals and materials that require tons of energy and human sweat to produce them. Mercury, lead, cadmium, tin, zinc and copper are among the heavy metals that are found in modern electronics. However, many people are becoming "responsible recyclers," especially with products that contain heavy metals.

Benefits

• Recycling products that contain heavy metals can help conserve our natural resources and reduce air and water pollutants. Also, recycling more products containing heavy metals would produce fewer green-house gas emissions.

Recycling Your Cell Phone

• Cell phones consist of many different metals, such as copper, silver, cadmium, gold, silver, brass and tin. Almost all of the materials, including heavy metals, used in assembling cell phones are recyclable. Metals, batteries and plastics can be recycled to manufacture new products. Such recycling would reduce the need to mine and process new materials. The recycled metals can be used in several other areas, including other electronics, plumbing, jewelry and automotive parts.

Recycling Your Batteries

• We use batteries for everything because they are convenient power sources. They come all shapes and sizes to power our cars, cell phones, hearing aids, radios, portable TVs, laptops, watches, toys and even power tools. During critical times, batteries even provide back-up energy for hospitals. Some batteries contain heavy metals, such as lead, nickel, mercury and cadmium. When disposed improperly, they contaminate the environment. Recycling batteries can help keep heavy metal out of our landfills and help preserve and save precious resources. Recycled batteries can be used to make new batteries. The best environmental option is to to use fewer batteries--and use rechargeable batteries whenever you can.