As the world soars further into the technological era, the demand for new electronics ever increases. However there are drawbacks as we become more technologically advanced. Electronic waste, or more commonly known as “e-waste,” is the term used to describe old, broken, or discarded electronic devices. In 2012 alone, the U.S. contributed about 30,000 kilograms of e-waste per person. Yikes!
Why should we care?
If you ever think about where our waste goes, images of landfills usually spring to mind, and that’s not entirely from the truth. It does go to landfills, except those landfills are found literally in people’s backyards in developing countries. Yes, developing countries such as India and China, which colloquially is becoming known as “the electronic wastebasket of the world.” What happens is that developed countries, like the U.S. and the U.K. legally (and illegally) dump their electronic waste into these developing countries, and that’s not all. Since e-waste usually contains precious metals, like gold, aluminum, and silver, to make a living, citizens of developing countries will use hazardous methods to extract those metals to turn a profit, which is usually only a few dollars per day. Furthermore, those hazardous methods, like acid washing, harm the environment. The air, water, and land all become contaminated by harmful substances, like lead, The poisoning of the environment by these substances contribute to a wide array of health issues among the citizens themselves, like lead poisoning.
What can we do?
It’s worth mentioning that the U.S. is not a part of the Basel Convention, a treaty that works to limit the e-waste dumping from developed nations to developing countries. Meaning to say, the U.S. legally trashes e-waste into these places, causing the destruction of the environment and the health of its people. What we can do to limit the amount of e-waste we produce is simply using our electronic devices until their “end life,” that is when it becomes almost completely non-functional to us. Refraining from buying the newest phone version from Apple or buying another electronic device you don’t really need can go a long way. Another method is to find your local e-waste recycler, which can be easily looked up. Many Staples stores, for example, offer a free consumer drop off site where you can recycle old electronics you don’t use anymore. It’s certified as an e-Steward by the Basel Action Network (BAN), meaning to say that it is a trusted company that will dismantle electronic waste properly and will not ship it to developing countries.
It’s easy to overlook this problem as we go on with our daily lives since it doesn’t affect us regularly as in other places. However, it’s a growing and harsh reality for others. To be better informed about what you can do to help save the environment, even if it’s just by a little, check out more here.
Happy E-Waste recycling collegiettes!