In 2009, 1.21 billion cell phones were sold worldwide, most of
which were only used for an average of 18 months. While people
have every intention to be green, 90 percent of those phones
were improperly disposed of in landfills. This same year, there
were 100,000 tons of e-waste, according to nextworth.com. What
exactly is e-waste? Well, it’s basically electronic garbage. As
seen on CBS News, Allen Hershkowitz, a Senior Scientist at the
Natural Resources Defense Council, explained that 130,000
computers are thrown away each day in the U.S. and 100 million
cell phones tossed every year. It’s so easy – out with the old,
in with the new. But people don’t realize what makes up that old
monitor or cell phone and how harmful it truly can be. What’s
Inside Your Electrical Equipment? Lead, Cadmium, Mercury,
Chromium and Polyvinyl Chloride are just a few toxic chemicals
that can lead to brain damage, kidney disease and cancer if not
properly disposed of, explains Hershkowitz. Almost all of the
parts can somehow be rec