Romanians generate more than 100,000 tons of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) every year, which makes our country one of the most polluted European countries. The serious part is that only a little more than a third of the waste is collected, according to the press. release from the ENVIRON association.

Thus, in Romania, the collection rate reaches 35%, according to the most optimistic estimates, while the European average is 45.9% at the level of 2020. Most Romanians recycle washing machines (70.67%), and the hardest part is mobile phones (11%), according to ENVIRON association data.

On the occasion of Earth Day (April 22), ENVIRON representatives sound the alarm and say that it is high time that electronics recycling becomes part of the education of Romanians, as is the case in civilized EU countries.

Electrical and electronic items such as mobile phones, laptops and other small waste are the least likely to be recycled. “One explanation is that Romanians, especially the elderly, find it difficult to give up the electrical and electronic equipment they have. And when it comes to small things like cell phones and cables, chargers, cameras, e-cigarettes, etc., I find that often they don’t even realize that they are still waste and therefore don’t donate to recycling, they prefer keep them in boxes or, even worse, throw them in the trash,” said Roxana Puia, ENVIRON Marketing Manager.

However, it is very important that electrical and electronic equipment that is beyond repair is recycled and not simply thrown into the bin, so that it does not become hazardous waste,

For example, old refrigerators contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HCFCs) – substances that destroy the ozone layer, the problem is related to the climatic imbalance of the planet, corresponding to serious human ailments, including a decrease in immunity.

At the same time, a smartphone contains about 30 different components, some of which are on the way to depletion (gallium, silver or arsenic), others (lead, mercury, cadmium) are very dangerous if they are thrown into the trash. In turn, old televisions and monitors contain heavy metals that can cause serious diseases, such as lead, cadmium, barium oxide, strontium oxide, europium, yttrium or mercury.

“The bad news is that all the substances from the electronic equipment taken to the landfill end up in the ground and affect the groundwater level, which has a terrible effect on human and animal health. The good news is that at least 85% of this equipment can be recycled. The quality of our life, of each of us, depends on our actions. Recycling waste, regardless of its nature, should be a natural, normal and responsible gesture,” added Roxana Puia.

ENVIRON Association is a non-governmental and non-profit organization founded in 2007 and currently manages more than 4,000 collection points across the country. Over 160,000 tons of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) have been collected over 16 years of operation,