Dangers of using e-waste such as wire from old TV's in jewelry: toxic chemicals in electronic waste and the potential health risks involved

Check out this article from our sister blog, PhoenixFire Designs: The Blog for a look at when recycled materials can be dangerous and downright toxic health risk. Some shops claim they are “recycled beautifully” but there’s very little beautiful about the massive dangers inherent in electronic waste (also known as e-waste) and the huge list of cancer-causing chemicals found in electronics such as old tvs.

Electronic products are jam-packed with heavy metals, semi-metals and various chemical compounds that can leak into soil and become hazardous. Things like lead, mercury, copper, barium, nickel and even arsenic are all present within a variety of electronic products.

While I am a strong advocate for recycling (and upcycling), not everything can be “recycled beautifully.” Some things are unsafe, toxic and potentially seriously harmful to health. Doubly so when you’re talking about materials that will be worn on the human body and touching skin. One such example is reclaimed wire from old electronics such as tv’s or computers.

What you might not realize is that electronic waste (also known as “e-waste”) is a serious problem in our tech-hungry society. And that much of that old tech contains a terrifying mix of toxic and potentially deadly combination of heavy metals and chemicals that are not only making humans sick, but poisoning our environment as well.

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