Georgia advocates warn about dangers of improperly thrown-away electronic devices – CBS News

Georgia advocates warn about dangers of improperly thrown-away electronic devices  CBS News

All kinds of electronics are thrown away daily, but how they All kinds of electronics are thrown away daily, but how they're disposed of can have a major impact on the people around you, animals, and the environment. The World Health Organization says discarded electronic devices can be a threat to people's health and the environment if they aren't disposed of properly. "Right now, it's actually the fastest-growing waste stream in the world," said Georgia PIRG consumer associate Lindsay Juhlin. "Since 2014, we've disposed of 1.7 billion pounds of electronic waste just from cutoff software support and cloud services, and in Georgia we've created an estimated 460 million pounds of electronic waste." A new report from the nonprofit organization highlights what Juhlin said is a major contributor to e-waste: the massive number of devices that no longer work because the manufacturers end software updates.

Georgia PIRG is working with other nonprofits to push for legislation around the Fair Repair Act introduced by U.S. Reps. Joe Morelle and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez earlier this year. This act would require manufacturers to make the parts, tools, and information necessary to repair modern electronics available to consumers and independent repair shops. Similar reforms have already been passed in 10 other states. "When we buy an electronic, we own it, and we should be able