Waste is an ever-growing problem. What do we do with waste? How do we reduce our waste? How do we reuse what we already have? These questions are constantly being examined and finding solutions, but what happens when our waste is on fire?
In Orange County, California, a garbage truck’s trash combusted and was then dumped on a freeway. Many believe this fire was caused by improperly disposed electronic waste, or e-waste, a growing and hazardous component of our garbage problem.
Electronic waste, or e-waste, includes discarded devices like phones, laptops, and batteries, items that often contain volatile materials capable of sparking fires when crushed, punctured, or exposed to heat.
Improper disposal of these materials doesn’t just pose an immediate fire risk, as seen in Orange County, but it also fuels a broader environmental and economic crisis…