НАПИШИТЕ КРАТКИЙ ПЕРЕСКАЗ ТЕКСТА.
There's no doubt about it, electronic and electric goods make our lives much easier, but unfortunately there's a price to pay for this! As technology advances at a faster pace each year appliances and gadgets quickly become outdated and people throw more of them out. Also, electronic equipment has become more available and cheaper, so people often replace their old computers and TVs instead of getting them repaired. This creates tons of electronic waste, or 'e-waste'. In the USA alone people get rid of about 250 million computer a year and only 10% are recycled!
So what's the big deal? Well, unfortunately e-waste ends up over a thousand chemicals, many of which are very toxic. Most e-waste currently ends up in landfills where chemicals and heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, chromium and mercury gradually leak into the soil which can eventually cause great harm to people. Some e-waste is burnt, but this releases toxic gases into the air. When e-waste is simply dumped in landfills it can emit poisonous fumes. It can also leak dangerous chemical into the soil which can affect the food chain.
Fortunately, all is not lost! Manufacturers are starting to encourage more recycling and reduce the number of toxic chemicals they use. Also, many countries have signed treaties to stop the exporting of e-waste to other countries. But there are things you can do to help solve this problem, too. Just remember the 3Rs - REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!