What is Electronic Waste?

Modern technology provides society with many conveniences, from Wi-Fi enabled cell phones and ever-smaller laptop computers that make our entire lives portable to energy-efficient washers and dryers that use half the power and time to complete their tasks. However, these new toys and gadgets leave behind them a wake of outdated, unwanted contraptions.

It's all electronic waste and it includes everything from empty printer ink cartridges to broken refrigerators. As people purchase new items to replace aging electronics or make upgrades, more electronic waste is generated. In some cases, such as 2009's switch from analog to digital television broadcasting in the United States, changes in technology are so great that old equipment may not even work at all with new systems.

There are many reasons why it is important to recycle electronic waste. Much of the material used to construct electronics, including metal and plastic components, can be recycled into new items at a fraction of the cost and energy use needed to create things from new raw materials. Additionally, many electronics contain toxic substances that are harmful to the environment and could be catastrophic if leached into an area's groundwater. For example, television tubes contain mercury, which is known to be extremely poisonous. When properly recycled, electronic waste is stripped of all toxins and other harmful materials, which is then properly and safely disposed of. Because of these environmental concerns, many areas require by law that electronic waste be properly recycled.

The availability of electronic waste recycling programs varies from place to place. Some municipalities may provide such services to area residents. In some areas, annual collections are held once or twice a year as a means of disposing of electronic waste as well as used engine oil or other waste that is harmful to the environment. When purchasing new appliances that are being delivered, retailers like Sears often offer free removal of the appliance that is being replaced. Since some appliances, such as refrigerators, cannot be disposed of without costly removal of hazardous substances, this saves you not only time but money as well! Other retailers, like Best Buy, also offer electronic waste recycling programs to their customers.

There are also some good alternatives to recycling your electronic waste. Any items that are in working condition can be given to friends or donated to charities like Goodwill or the Salvation Army, who rely heavily on donations. Freecycling, or passing on your unwanted items to those in need of them, is also a means of finding new homes for used items. Websites like Craigslist and Freecycle.org are good places to list any usable items you would like to give away. Interested parties can contact you to ask any questions they may have about your items and to arrange picking up their new treasures.

E-waste recycling helps preserve the environment by reducing the amount of toxic materials placed in landfills and salvaging recyclable components to save energy and other resources. Contact your local government officials or waste management companies for details on any e-waste recycling programs in your area.

Cyber Law and the Internet

With all the information that is exchanged on the internet it makes it an easy target for crimes to be committed. You are exchanging personal information every time you shop or join a social network. Strangers are consistently trying to access this personal information about others so it can be used in other ways.

Since the internet is drawing in more people daily for using, it is also drawing crime in. The crimes on the internet are mounting daily. There are many different kinds of crimes that are done for different reasons. Some crimes like hacking are done so a person can have bragging rights. Other crimes are done in order to get a person personal information so it can be resold on the black market.

Let us take things a step farther so you will understand the different types of internet crimes. There are computer intrusions which mean bots, worms, viruses, spyware, malware and hacking. Computer intrusions have been known to take down complete systems in many different organisations. Sometimes it is another organisation knocking the competition out for a while. Other times it is someone wanting to brag that they hacked into a major system and disrupted things and made the system crash.

Child pornography is growing at a rapid place on the internet. With the child pornography there are more pedophiles that are showing up on the internet. The pedophiles are trying to lure children in to meeting them. If a child is going to be on the internet it is always best to take precautions and restrict where they can and cannot go. This will help to keep them safe from lurking criminals.

These are just a few of the internet crimes that are committed around the clock. There are cyber laws in place to handle internet crimes. These crimes are dealt with just like a crime that was not committed on the internet. There will be steep fines and even jail time if a persons is caught doing any type of crime on the internet.

A thing to remember is the person will have criminal records if they are charged with an internet crime. Criminal records follow a person around for the rest of their lives and can make it hard to do certain things. People have many reasons to look at persons records from curiosity to jobs. The records are easy to view online any time of day or night. A person only needs to know where to go in order to search criminal records and they can see every crime a person has ever committed.

The next time you are online and thinking about doing something to another person, you better think twice. Just because another person cannot see you or does not know who you are does not mean they cannot track you. Everything on the internet can be tracked one way or another by cyber laws. A crime will be dealt with even if it was committed on the internet. There could be steep fines and even mandatory jail time. It just depends what the person is being charged with.