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Think Before You Shuffle

Think Before You Shuffle

Published 10-18-07

Submitted by Wellcorps.com

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - October 18, 2007 - /PRNewswire/ - You just bought a laptop. Or a flat screen. Or an MP3 Player. And unlike your parents' generation -- you don't expect it to last forever. Modern consumers are prepared to toss their cell phone aside as soon as they hear the words 'Free Upgrade'. What most people don't know is that these gadgets contain highly toxic chemicals that, when disposed of, pose serious health and environmental risks. Wellcorps.com, a Social, Health and Environmental Advocacy Group is calling for consumer awareness to the hazards of electronic waste.

The electronics industry has what is called "planned obsolescence", which means that the electronic will become obsolete or stop working, generally about 18 months from purchase. More and more though, companies are shortening their span to twelve months or less, which increases their sales, but in turn is having a detrimental effect on the amount of toxic electronic waste in the environment, as consumers simply throw away devices every year.

"A lot of people don't realize the toxic chemicals that their gadgets contain. As we saw in this week's Greenpeace report, iPods, iPhones and other electronics contain hazardous substances," said Tony Rich, Founder of Wellcorps.com. "When you throw your electronics away; those harmful chemicals don't just disappear."

Electronic waste accounts for 70% of all toxic waste. These devices can be made with over 1,000 toxic materials including mercury, cadmium, lead, brominated flame retardants and PVC in order to create their semiconductor chips, circuit boards and disk drives.

Toxic mercury exposure has been linked with such ailments as ADD/ADHD, autism, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

What's worse is that not only is this trash being dumped in our environment contaminating our ecosystems and water supplies, it's also being shipped abroad. Over 3 trillion tons of electronic waste (cell phones, portable music players, televisions, laptops, digital cameras, etc) are exported from the United States each year to China, India and Africa because the US environmental protection laws prohibit the landfill or incineration of these consumer items.

"It's bad enough that we're polluting our own ecosystems, but we're letting our consumption habits also destroy the health and safety of others," said Rich. "Something as simple as taking your old computer to an electronics recycling center can make a difference in a big way."

For more on this story visit www.WELLCORPS.com

About Wellcorps.com
Wellcorps.com is a Social, Health and Environmental Advocacy Group. The science, formulation and education team behind Wellcorps.com brings over 30 years of proven success in the marketplace, with total created branded product and service sales in excess of $3 billion worldwide. For more information, visit their website at www.WELLCORPS.com.

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