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Electronic waste is typically an afterthought, especially when you’re having fun. Rage Rooms have become a popular outlet for anger in recent years as a place customers can book and smash old electronics and other household items, but questions are rising in regards to the facilities’ proper management of hazardous waste.
Rage rooms first began in 2008 but became more popular in late 2019 as a method of stress relief. Customers can book appointments to use baseball bats, golf clubs, hammers and other weapons to destroy household items such as plates, glass cups, televisions, computers, printers etc. Though some of the materials destroyed are harmless, most are old electronics that are considered hazardous waste.
E-waste makes up 70% of the world’s toxic waste, and can be extremely dangerous when not handled properly. Most electronics today are made with metals such as copper, gold, lead, silver, lithium, aluminum and nickel, which can leak harmful chemicals into the atmosphere overtime. Rage rooms have been a popular place to relieve some stress, but authorities are beginning to crack down on the potential dangers.
The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) found debris at a rage room in Sacramento in 2019 with elevated levels of lead, zinc and cobalt. No air quality test was conducted, but the facility operator was fined for allowing patrons to smash electronics and release toxic metals into the air. Another rage room facility was fined by the Los Angeles County Fire Department last month for similar mishandling of hazardous waste.
The electronics used in the Sacramento facility were received from unnamed e-scrap companies, most likely the case for many other facilities as well. According to a DTSC official, the department is too understaffed to inspect every single rage room, however, not all facilities are unaware of the danger. A california-based facility in Westlake Village prohibits people from bringing certain devices such as CRT monitors, cooling devices, light bulbs, pressurized cans or electronic devices.
E-waste should be handled by professionals, and properly disposed of at ITAD facilities like HOBI. IT asset disposition facilities collect old electronics and ensure that they are disposed of in a safe, environmentally friendly manner. HOBI recycles retired IT assets, ensuring that they do not end up in landfills or contaminate the environment or the health of others.
For more information about our ITAD services call 817-814-2620, or contact HOBI at sales@hobi.com.
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