Electronic Plastic Waste

It is estimated that 400 million personal computers are made every year.  Although this sounds like a great thing because many more people are gaining access to this technology, this, however, is causing a major ecological problem. Majority of computers and computer peripherals such as keyboards and mice are made from plastic, and those computers typically have a lifespan of 5-10 years and are discarded because the technology gets outdated. In addition to the plastic waste, a lot of heavy metals end up in the landfills.  In the United States, an estimated 70% of heavy metals in landfills comes from discarded electronics. 


To help solve this problem, there are companies that are making keyboards and mouses from bamboo. Tonggu Jiangqiao Bamboo & Wood Industry Company annually manufactures 5 million sets of computer peripherals and 400,000 square meters of bamboo floorboards.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_waste#Amount_of_electronic_waste_worldwide
https://plasticpollutioncoalition.zendesk.com/

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