Electronic waste or e-waste, describes discarded or obsolete electronic devices that no longer serve their function. E-waste can take many shapes and forms — from individual components to entire devices. Due to the speed of technology development, devices can quickly become obsolete, broken or not practically usable by people or organizations.
Examples of devices that can become e-waste once they are no longer used include:
- Laptops
- Tablets
- Smartphones
- Desktop computers
- Computer & desktop components
- Printers
- Other consumer and IT electronics
Properly disposing of used, broken or outdated devices benefits the environment and conserves resources. Many organizations partner with companies to achieve their goals around sustainability, asset disposition and lifecycle services.
Electronic waste is an environmental risk to plants, animals and the atmosphere because of the harmful substances used to manufacture technology, including heavy metals and toxic chemicals. Government, corporate and consumer regulations outline mandatory or voluntary practices to ensure technology is managed and disposed of properly, which helps mitigate the negative impacts of e-waste.
As communities, corporations and governments recognize the risk of uncontrolled disposal, they are increasingly considering the well-being of teammates, updating equipment and using technology responsibly to extend device lifecycles while maintaining worker and business productivity.
