Heard Of E-Waste, Today You Will…May, 25th 2015 Saheel Mitha

E-Waste? Ever heard of it? Electronic

waste is any electronic device that is

unwanted, broken, obsolete, or otherwise

junk. This includes although it is not

limited to computers, monitors, cell phones,

TVs, VCR’s, CD and MP3 Players, even

the smallest electronic like that toy car that

required batteries when you were young

can be referred to as E-Waste as it contains small amounts of it.

So why should we care abut E-Waste really? Well most of these electronic materials

contain hazardous substances that are either toxic or carcinogenic, such as lead found in

solder (a thin-alloy), or mercury, PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyl that is a toxic aromatic

substance that is produces as waste in industries), and chromium found in older CRT

(Cathode Ray Tubes) monitors. These toxic materials are strong enough and have a potential

effect to affect our drinking water of improperly disposed of. Electronic waste also contains

precious materials such as gold, copper, tin, and aluminum that if recycled, can be a valuable

secondary source of raw materials. As we become more independent on electronic problems

to make our lives convenient, the stockpile of used and obsolete products grows.

In the US, we scrap about 400 million units per year of consumer electronics,

according to recycling

industry experts. The EPA

estimates that in 2011, the US

generated nearly 3.4 million

tons of e-waste. But only

about 25% of that was

collected for recycling. The

other 75% went to landfills

Figure 1: The System Of Dumping In The USA

and incinerators, despite the fact that hazardous chemicals in them can leach out of landfills

into groundwater and streams

E-Waste ~-~ ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

Spread Of E-WasteWest Africa has now become an area for massive e-waste dumping. European Commission and the UN Studies show that West Africa is being an e-waste dumping site from various parts of the world (The UK & US). The problem is many African nations do not have ICT

Policies and those who do like Zambia do not seem to take interest. Only Kenya in East Africa has an e-waste recycling plant while in Southern Africa, only South Africa has the plant.

Effects And Known ProblemsLead – The health effects of lead are well known; lead exposure causes brain damage in children and has already been banned from many consumer products.Mercury  –Mercury is toxic in very low doses, and causes brain and kidney damage. It can be passed on through breast milk; just 1/70th of a teaspoon of mercury can contaminate 20 acres of a lake, making the fish unfit to eat.Cadmium – Cadmium accumulates in the human body and poisons the kidneys.BFRs – Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) may seriously affect hormonal functions critical for normal development.And A lot More Then You Can Imagine…

Essence Of RRRR Reduce, Reuse, Recycle And Repeat

1. Recycling Helps Protect Environment Recyclable waste would have been burned or ended up in landfills. Pollution of the air, land, water and soil is reduced.

2. Recycling Conserves Natural Resource Recycling more waste means that we don't depend a lot on raw (natural) resources, which are already massively depleted.

3. Recycling Saves Energy Recycled materials take less energy to be produced to items compared to raw materials thus more efficient and prices fall.

Facts For You

1. 20 – 50 Million Metric tons of E-Waste is disposed worldwide every year.

2. Cell-Phones and other electronic material contain more gold and precious materials. Americans dump phones worth $60Million in gold and silver every year.

3. E-Waste represents 2% landfill trash in America but results to 70% overall toxic waste.

4. It takes 530lbs of fossil fuels, 48lbs of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water to manufacture a computer and monitor.

5. Only 12.5% of E-Waste is currently recycled.

6. A large number of ‘E-Waste’ is actually whole computers ready to be recycled and or reused or marketable.

7. For every 1 million of cell phones recycled, 35,274lbs copper, and 772lbs silver, 75lbs gold, and 33lbs palladium can be recovered.

8. Hazardous E-Waste includes, but are not limited to: TV & Computer Monitors that contain Cathode ray tubes.

9. E-Waste is the fastest growing municipal waste stream in US and is dumped in other nations.

10. Recycling 1 million laptops saves the energy equivalent to

4. Recycling Creates Jobs

TAKING A STAND FOR OUR HOME … Tackling The Problem In E-Waste Growing Africa.

E-Waste ManagementAs of now, there are no proper methods to the disposal of e-waste. The two methods I

found interesting in a bid to reduce the problem of e-waste is recycling and refurbishing. For recycling, there are many products that cannot be recycled completely. PVC Layers, for example cannot be recycled and stay the same way for ages. For this, the solution is merely that manufacturers use an alternative and something of recyclable sort so that it can be reused again and converted into something that is reusable without harming the planets and its habitants. So the first solution is merely compelling electronics manufacturers to use green elements. If electronics are refurbished, they can be sold again although at a lower price. Thus, both the society and environment will benefit. Instead of simply dumping your old electronics into the garbage bin, you might want to think abut calling a vendor and ask him where the item can go for refurbishing. If not, consider donating that can either use it or repair. I think this practice can be implemented and work well within societies as it should be done without irregularities for the benefit of the entire planet.

Kenya & TNC’s – Pilot Programming 1) Dell has been trying to encourage the development of more sustainable recycling

policies in places where the e-waste problem has been a particular rampant. As an initial step, it has its first e-waste recycling programs with partners in Nairobi, Kenya. Together with the e-waste solutions alliance for Africa, it is building out a regional e-waste handling facility called East African Compliant Recycling.

2) Hewlett Packard brought together a group of recycling experts, it partnered with the East African Compliant Recycling. Kenyan authorities came on board; this

collaboration brought a positive and environmental, social and economic benefit by creating 2000 jobs in Kenya. Kenya gets half the price of the income from these e-wastes recycling and reselling in different goods. HP has recycled billions of kilograms of IT Supplies from 70 countries. From Africa, it has recycling projects in Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa.

3) Kenyan leaders are working on new laws and regulations requiring proper disposal of e-waste, defined as anything with a battery or a cord. "A lot of e-waste is shipped to these countries in order to get rid of it," said Ruediger Kuehr, the executive secretary of Solving the E-Waste Problem, a Germany-based organization coordinated by the U.N. Impoverished Nairobi residents collect end-of-life electronics for processing. In Nairobi's Mukuru slum, women pick through dumpsites or purchase discarded material from electronics repair shops. They earn about $2 for a CRT tube-style television. If dumped, that television would have released 6.5 pounds (3 kilograms) of lead into the environment.