Risks of recycled e-waste explored in report
Wednesday, March 15, 2017 - 09:45:42
A new report from CHEM Trust has suggested that the growing trend of recycling e-waste could be causing problems because of the ways in which the reconstituted materials are being used, according to the Guardian.
With more people around the world being encouraged to sell their old phones and to send unwanted electronics to be recycled, rather than simply dumping them, the entire tech industry is gradually becoming more eco-friendly and sustainable. But this study shows that there are some complications, most notably when it comes to the production of children’s toys.
In particular it is the flame retardant chemicals that are integrated into the plastics used to construct many modern products which pose a threat. If the products are then recycled these potentially harmful substances could end up coming into direct contact with children.
Items manufactured in China using recycled materials are highlighted as being problematic, since the country’s regulations governing recycling are not as strict as in some western nations and thus the likelihood of items containing higher concentrations of the hazardous substances is higher.
These retardants are widely encountered and can lead to the increased likelihood of having an impact on the hormonal development of young children. Physical contact with the affected plastics could be dangerous and yet nearly half of the toys examined in the report were found to feature high levels of these substances.
Campaigners want to see more done to alert manufacturers and consumers alike to the issues at hand here, while also calling for more research to be done in order to establish the toxicity levels of materials at all stages of their life cycles. In essence, the rise of recycling is a good thing, but potential problems must be dealt with sooner rather than later.
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