For a lot of students back to school shopping is more than paper and pens; its big ticket items like laptops or the latest smartphone. But have you ever thought about what goes into making these electronics? About where the parts come from or how they’re acquired? What a lot of people don’t realize is the impact of owning one of these essentials, and how a lot of these products are actively fueling wars abroad.
Minerals, the backbone of our day-to-day electronics, aren’t always found here in Canada, or even North America. Often they’re mined in developing countries, and then sold overseas to various companies. The thing is, many of these mines, such as the ones in the Congo, are controlled by militas and are a breeding ground for human rights violations. The minerals that come from these places are known as conflict minerals.
The most common conflict minerals found in our everyday products are gold and the “3Ts” – tin, tantalum (made from coltan) and tungsten. These ingredients in our electronics do everything from storing battery life, enabling vibration and making up the circuit boards vital for a product to function. Basically, if you own something that requires electricity, chances are there is at least one of these minerals in there.
How are the minerals and militia conflicts related? These highly lucrative elements are mined in places such as the Congo and then smuggled out of the country to be sold to smelters overseas where they are refined and made into useable materials for our electronics. Once the elements are melted down they’re nearly impossible trace back to their origins. Militias and other armed groups control many of the mines in the Congo and use the profits for personal gain and bribery in order to ensure they remain in control of the business.
Here’s the good news; there are companies who are taking action against this issue and as a consumer, you have the power to choose their products over those laden with conflict. Resources like company rankings are an easy way to compare company’s involvement with ending the demand for conflict products. Also, by going directly to the company’s website you can often find reports which break down the amount of mines they source from and just how many are illicit.
Beyond that the Conflict-Free Campus Initiative by Raise Hope for the Congo is an easy way for any collegiette to get involved! Much like uOttawa’s water-bottle free campus movement this project encourages university officials to consider where the electronics provided on campus are coming from. Want to know more? Check out the page here.
Be conscious with your back to school shopping this year and choose products that are conflict-free. A quick Google search can help you be a more proactive consumer in every aspect of your lifestyle.
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