Romanians generate over 100,000 tons of electronic and e-waste annually, unfortunately making Romania one of the most polluted European states, reports Romania Insider.
The collection rate reaches 35% in Romania by the most optimistic estimates, while the European average was 45.9% in 2020. Most commonly, Romanians recycle washing machines (70.67%), but barely recycle mobile phones (11%), according to data from the ENVIRON association.
“One explanation is that Romanians, especially seniors, are reluctant to give up the electronic and electrical equipment they have. And when it comes to small-sized items, such as mobile phones and cables, chargers, cameras, e-cigarettes, etc., we have found that they often do not even realize that these are also waste, and therefore they do not give them for recycling, preferring to keep them in drawers or, even worse, throw them away”, said Roxana Puia, Marketing Manager at ENVIRON.
ENIVORN shares a useful word of advice: It is very important, however, that when electrical and electronic equipment can no longer be repaired, they should be recycled and not simply thrown away as garbage, in order to prevent them from becoming hazardous waste, say representatives of ENVIRON, who point out that old refrigerators, for example, contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), substances that damage the ozone layer, a problem associated with the planet’s climate imbalance and serious health problems for humans.
Similarly, a smartphone contains around 30 different components, some of which are on the verge of depletion (gallium, silver, or arsenic), while others (lead, mercury, cadmium) are very dangerous if thrown in the garbage dump. Old televisions and monitors, in turn, contain heavy metals that can cause serious health problems, states Romania Insider.
