Introducing the 5 interesting facts about mobile phones, which you may not know.
First Mobiles hidden gold and silver
It is generally known that the basis of the mobile phone as plastics, which produce the cover plate and the device. Less obvious are part of the product but then metals, which still makes up 45% of the entire device, and are mainly hidden in the connectors and contacts. In addition to copper, nickel or tin will also find precious metals gold and silver. One mobile phone contains an average of 250 mg of silver metal and up to 24 mg of gold. "Recycling of metals can be obtained almost fully back, for example gold, the rate of recovering the entire 98% for silver is about 90%. Pure metal can then be re-used to produce a wide range of products. Most often travels to the electrical, automotive, chemical and glass industries, "explains Petr Kubernát the company REMA system that deals with the take-back of WEEE.
Second Calls versus African gorillas
An essential part of mobile phones is also called coltan ore. From this ore is then extracted tantalum, prized for its high thermal resistance and capacitors used in mobile phones and other electrical equipment. In the Congo, where the material is mined, but its production has an impact on striking loss of habitat of lowland gorillas. You already among the critically endangered species. That's why today is also possible in many Czech zoos surrender old mobile phones. Within the project "Bring old cell phone - support forest guardian" goes for everyone to recycle mobile surrendered 10 crowns to protect the Dja Reserve, Cameroon, where the gorillas live.
3rd Buying a cell phone and support to civil war
As already indicated, the ore needed for mass production of mobile phones are mined extensively, especially in the African Congo. But few know that they are gaining mainly from illegal mines. Minerals are then further supplied to factories in Asia and the money then for finished products will pay the Western world, are used to finance civil war in Congo. That's according to organizations dealing with the protection of human rights bloodiest conflict since World War II. During this fifteen-year conflict are estimated to have died because five million victims.
4th What is happening at the other end
Some mobile phone users will have no idea that in order to be able to call often has someone else on the other side of the world to undergo a mortal danger in the mines. In addition, for minimum wage. Mining is also often associated with child labor. Children usually do not even complete primary school, using dangerous tools and chemicals and risk poisoning by heavy metals. Day's work, then you earn the equivalent of about around 150 crowns a day. In addition, local honey sold to middlemen for smaller amounts, which constitute around twenty to sixty percent of the real purchase price.
5th The journey across the continents
Because coal is mined in places that are usually relatively remote locations and processing power of mobile phones, raw materials and finished goods tackled the very long distances. For example, copper is mined mainly in Chile, gold comes from South Africa, and silver from Russia. These materials were then transported to Turkey or China for manual or machine processing in the form of so-called blanks, ie only the individual components. Semi then tackled the additional distance, especially in Malaysia, which are assembled and packaged. From there he travels to various official manufacturers of mobile phones and their dep then even the dealers themselves. "Transport of raw materials has a great impact not only on fuel consumption, but also causes significant emissions of gases, and thus strong environmental pollution," says Petr Kubernát of company REMA system, whose main objective is environmental protection by ensuring effective recycling of e-waste. "For example, copper parts in the mobile phone sent to the Czech Republic have had up to 36,000 kilometers," says Kubernát.
In conclusion: Why recycle cell phones?
In the Czech Republic every year to recycle only 5% of discarded mobile phones. Globally, this share is only 1%. Other discarded mobile devices to their owners either stored at home, or worse, thrown in the trash. Nearly 80% of mobile phone parts can yet be recycled and re-used. Compared with the extraction of extra recycling as many environmentally friendly and is a much easier way of getting raw materials. Give old cell phone for recycling, thanks to a wide network of WEEE take-back easy. Submit it can be, for example, when buying a new device at the merchant in collection boxes at schools, businesses and institutions in collecting yards, but also in 15 zoos across the country or in some regional offices of the Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape and the Giant Mountains National Park.
Source: tz Lesenský.cz