To sell or to recycle – the e waste dilemma

Selling old books, magazines and newspapers to the local scrap vendor (or kabadiwala) is a good idea, right? They recycle it and use it to make lots of usable trinkets, and the seller gets to make some out of it as well. Furthermore, haggling over the price, and getting a favourable bargain makes Sunday mornings bright with the sweet taste of success. So why is it discouraged to sell one’s e waste to them? What could go so wrong?

We have been asked this same question, with different words, in other ways, way too many times. Every pitch we have made, household or corporate – we have to justify our premise

 

Why should one choose an organized e waste management business, such as Hulladek Recycling, over a local scrap collector? Well, here’s why –

 

 

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, also known as e waste, consisting of items such as discarded mobiles, computer systems and their peripherals, old CDs, household and kitchen appliances, medical equipment, florescent tubes, etc., contain a plethora of toxic chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, lithium., etc. The plastic casings of these electronic products contain polyvinyl chloride. Thus, these products need to be collected, recycled and disposed with extra care and precaution, the absence of which might have fatal consequences.

 

Local scrap dealers are ill equipped to scientifically treat e waste. Their methods are crude and highly toxic, where they end up putting both their recyclers, as well as living beings at large, at great risk and peril. The lack of training prevalent amongst the community causes the raddiwala to burn the circuit board, strip products with acid, burning the cable wires open and, and cracking and dumping other e waste products as per a technique they deem convenient. When e waste such as laptops and mobile phones are burned in open, they release cancer-producing dioxins into the air that we all breathe. Similarly, if electronic and electrical equipment are tossed into landfills, these toxins may leach into groundwater, affecting local aquifers and entering the food chain. When humans and animals consume this polluted air and water, they become prone to reproductive malfunctioning, nervous system disorders and even life threatening diseases.

 

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The wiser choice – Hulladek Recycling

An organized, licensed e waste management business, on the other hand, know exactly how to dispose and recycle e waste in a safe and secure manner. The components are first dismantled, and then handed over to specialized recyclers who have the technical know-how and expertise to ensure that the treatment is environmentally non-hazardous. The resulting reusable elements are sold off to relevant industries where these by-products can be used as raw materials. These raw materials are comparatively cheaper to a business, and hence the prices of the new, final product are also more conducive to a customer’s liking.

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Hulladek Recycling understands that we, as consumers, want the best possible deal. Thus, we assure our donators and corporate partners the best possible service, with prompt door-to-door pick-ups and collection centres at convenient locations. We also offer discount and giveaway coupons of popular retail and hospitality brands every time one recycles their e waste with us. We understand that every penny counts, and one would rather sell than donate, but when this paltry income sum is weighed against the gigantic cost of harming the planet at large, we trust our consumers to make the wiser choice.

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