Heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, copper, and mercury are good at conducting electricity and have other practical capacities, but several of them are also very toxic. Lead and mercury are harmful for the brain and nervous system, and cadmium could cause osteoporosis, just to mention a few examples.

A smartphone alone contains 62 different metals as part of the electronics.

Soft plastic parts from electronics could contain endocrine disruptive phthalates or chlorinated paraffins which suffice as both plasticizers and flame retardants. They are not easily degradable, are accumulated in living matter and are very toxic for water-living organisms.

There is also a huge risk that your widgets contain brominated and chlorinated flame retardants. Unfortunately these substances not only hinder your devices from getting over-heated. They could also, among other things, have a negative effect on the thyroid gland, the reproductive ability and our brains. They accumulate i humans and animals and are widely spread in nature. 

Wobbly life cycle

Many of the metals used in electronics are inaccessible or rare, and the mining alone cause a big strain on the environment.

During the year 2014 alone, 41 million tons of electronic waste was generated around the world. In EU in 2015 not more than a third was recycled, and even if Finland was somewhat better (43,2 percent) most of it is still astray. Loads of toxic substances are spread in nature instead of recycling expensive materials.

Of course, it is not enough to just recycle the material - the question is also how it is done. The electronic waste from the western world is partially exported to countries such as China and Ghana, where the recycling is done manually without any protective gear. Certain components need for instance to be burned in order to extract the valuable metals, and the workers are exposed to environmental toxins such as dioxins, lead, mercury, hydrogen cyanide and brominated flame retardants.

Make sure your gadgets not just end up in the garbage when it is time to replace them. And by the way… is it really time? According to the calculations of the Swedish recycling company Inregos, the environmental saving is 109 kg of carbon dioxide if you use your computer three more years. It does not sound that much? Lug 109 kg around the block and you will see. And then imagine millions of people making the same choice as you do…