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Ian Perdue
UNIV 112
November 21, 2014
Unit 3 Essay
Electronic Waste
Introduction:
Do you know where your old computer is going? The answer to that question for many
Americans is a resounding NO, as a lot of people believe that they are safely recycling their old
electronics. The number of old electronics entering American landfills is staggering, and our
increasing dependence on technology is having adverse effects on the environment due to the
need for the devices to access our virtual worlds. Therefore, the manufacturing, charging, and
destruction of electronics entering and exiting the United States should be regulated with
new standards created with an emphasis on the protection of the environment. The focus of
these new regulations would be to ensure the safe harvesting of components for the
manufacturing of the device, a stronger emphasis on renewable energy sources used to charge
the device, and reduction of damaged electronics exiting the United States destined for informal
recycling centers. These new regulations can be in place by 2025, following the stricter energy
requirements already in motion with congressional approval. These regulations are targeted to
lead to a significant decrease in environmental impacts from the mismanagement of technology.
Manufacturing of Electronics [Circumstance]:
Opening that brand new, straight from the factory package is a very addictive and selfsatisfying feeling. However, the materials need to make modern electronics have serious
detrimental impacts for the environment due to the pollution heavy techniques used to acquire
materials. Modern electronics require many different rare earth metals such as platinum, gold,
silver, and copper, to act as low corrosion transistors within the device. The problem with this
are the un-environmentally safe practices used to obtain these metals. When MIT conducted
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research on the impacts of mining on the environment, they found that 9,600 to 12,000 cubic
meters of toxic gas containing flue dust concentrate, hydrofluoric acid, sulfur dioxide and
sulfuric acid are produced for each ton of rare earth metal produced (“Environmental”).
Additionally, they found that nearly 75 cubic meters of acidic waste water and one tone of
radioactive waste residue are generated (“Environmental”).
The problems with the unsafe mining practices in many developing nations are the
destruction of natural resources to obtain the rare minerals. The most common type of mine in
developing nations (and many developed nations) are strip mines. These types of mine require
huge swaths of earth to be cleared of trees, shrubs, grasses, and animal inhabitants so that they
may strip away the earth in layers to extract the rare metals in the layers. According to MIT,
deforestation due to mining leads to the disintegration of biomes and contributes to the effects of
erosion (“Environmental”). The mining practices in developing nations are normally
unregulated, and as a result, local contamination of the environment is high. These contaminates
leech into the surrounding environment, causing birth defects, increased rates of cancer, and
shorter life expectancy.
The manufacturing of that shiny new electronic does not end its environmental damage at
the mines, but carries through to the assembly of the device. The assembly of the device is
normally done in China by underpaid workers in huge factories. The assembly of the electronic,
according to Perry Romanowski, the vice president at Brains Publishing with a degree from
DePaul University in Chemistry, requires “A variety of raw materials … range(ing) from glass,
ceramics, paper, metals, rubber and plastics. The primary circuit board are made from silicon.
The outer housing of the phone is typically made of a strong, high-impact resistant polymer”
(Romanowski). Once the device is produced it has to be prepared for shipping (normally to the
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United States). Thus, “Typically, they (the phones) are wrapped in plastic and put in boxes. A
packaging material such as polystyrene is also included to protect the device from damage during
shipping. An owner’s manual or other literature is included and the box is sealed with tape”
(Romanowski).
The damage to the environment before the electronic is even used is immense, but there
are practical solutions to curb the damage done to the environment. By placing legislation on
companies to site from where they obtaining their rare earth metals, it should reduce the use of
rare earth metals from off the grid pollution heavy mines. As well, having a strict standard by
which the device is packaged will restrict the amount of plastic used to package the device.
These regulations can be enforced through heavier taxation or sanctions of companies that do not
comply. Once the electronic is manufactured and bought, it will add to the global residential
energy demand for electronics.
Charging the Electronic [Consequence]
America is becoming more and more attached to the outlet. With our increasing need for
instantiations communication, America has become increasingly dependent on fossil fuels to
power our electronics. The only way to sustain our increasing online presence is to increase the
renewable power sources from which we charge our electronic devices.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), currently, around 67%
of the electricity generated in 2013 was from fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and
petroleum, with 39% attributed from coal (“What is U.S.”). What makes this so environmentally
damaging is that coal is the dirtiest source of energy currently, with a typical coal plant
generating 3.5 million tons of CO2 per year according to the U.S. Energy Information
Administration (“Coal Power: Air Pollution”). They also found that in 2011, that utility coal
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plants in the United States emitted a total of 1.7 billion tons of CO2 (“Coal Power: Air
Pollution”). Coal plants have also been linked as a leading cause of smog, acid rain, and toxic air
pollution and are leading producers of Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxides, Particulate Matter (soot
or fly ash), and Mercury (“Coal Power: Air Pollution”).
Since so much of our energy is derived from fossil fuels, the constant charging of
electronics results in 37 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year being used (“How is
Electricity”). The 37 million kilowatt hours comprise approximately 3% of consumption of the
4,058 billion kilowatt hours of electricity generated in 2013 (“What is U.S.”). However that
figure is dedicated purely to leisurely electronics, as industrial electronics are not included in the
power demands.
Our need to be connected to others around the world has caused us to increase the
reliance on fossil fuels, and in particular, coal. As each American requires more and more
gadgets, the residential energy demand is expected to spike in the coming years. This is all the
more reason for a push in renewable energy sources from which to power our devices. With
legislation requiring a step by step conversion from fossil fuels to more renewable sources of
energy on a per state level, the federal government would be able to curb our dependence on
fossil fuels. Making and using the electronic both take a huge environmental toll on the
environment, but the biggest impact comes when you toss out the old for the new.
Disposal of Used Electronics [Definition] [Authority] [Comparison]
(Definition) The need for America to implement several new strategies to monitor the
exportation of dangerous electronic waste has never been higher. Although some experts argue
that the exportation of electronic waste has been monitored since 1989 with the Basel
Convention on the Control of Trans boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their
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Disposal, they neglect to consider the electronic waste that bypasses the convention and enters
developing nations illegally.
The Basel Convention is supposed to prevent the exportation of hazardous elements to
developing nations as a means of “getting rid” of the waste from the developed nation. However,
at least 250,000 metric tons of electronic waste illegally enters Africa from Europe alone, around
5% of the total electronic waste produced by Europe (Lubick 148). Naomi Lubick is a freelance
science writer and editor with a degree in Earth and Environmental Science Journalism from
Columbia University who writes about the growing problem of exporting electronic waste to
Africa. The illegally imported electronic waste circumvents the Basel Convention by earmarking
used electronics for reuse – even if it is damaged.
These electronics are shipped to the developing nations to be broken down in informal
recycling centers where there are no environmental regulations, “E-waste often ends up in
informal recycling centers, where it is sorted for reuse or broken down by hand and picked clean
for valuable metals, then destroyed in inefficient toxicant producing settings” (Lubick 148). The
reason corporation’s ship electronic waste to developing nations is the cost. According to
Heather Levin, an electronic analyzer for Money Crashers, an online website dedicated to
financial aspects of common issues found that, the sheer volume of electronic waste that needs to
be recycled each year - over 100 million cell phones, 41.1 million desktops and laptop computers
and 20 million TVs in the United States alone – at nearly $100 an item makes properly recycling
electronics expensive (Levin). All the products add up to a meager 13% of electronic waste that
is disposed and recycled properly (Levin). The environmental problem with the improper
disposal of used electronics is not limited to developing nations, it also impacts US landfills.
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(Authority – EPA and WHO) According to the US Environmental Protection Agency,
75-78% of used electronics end up in American landfills where they leech toxic materials into
the landfill and surrounding water table (Lubick 148). These pollutants leech into the
surrounding environment, poisoning fish with heavy metals such as lead and mercury, and
contaminating ground water (Lubick 148). The heavy metals that leech from American landfills
is less evident due to natural and manmade “filters” that slow down the migration of rain water
laced with heavy metals. However, the water eventually makes it through the “filter” and into the
ground water system where it contaminates drinking water. The effects of these toxins that have
leeched into the drinking water can be seen in Africa, where the women of Accara have dramatic
increases in the levels of dangerous chemicals found in their breast milk related to both the low
intensity fires common with informal recycling, and the discarded electronic that contaminates
their drinking water (Lubick 148).
Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO), found that,
“E-waste-connected health risks may result from direct contact with harmful
materials such as lead, cadmium, chromium, brominated flame retardants or
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), from inhalation of toxic fumes, as well as from
accumulation of chemicals in soil, water and food. In addition to its hazardous
components, being processed, e-waste can give rise to a number of toxic by-products
likely to affect human health. (“Electronic Waste”)
The risk to children is amplified due to the fact that their central nervous, immune,
reproductive and digestive systems are still developing and exposure to toxic substances
causes irreversible damage (“Electronic Waste”). Because of the health implications on the
public caused by the improper recycling of electronic waste, both the World Health
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Organization and the US Environmental Protection Agency advocate for stricter laws
regarding the exportation and disposal of used electronic waste. The damage to our
environment from the improper disposal of used electronics is immense and is on a scale
greater than the BP oil rig disaster of 2010.
(Comparison) On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon/BP
MC252 drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 workers and caused the rig to sink.
As a result, oil began leaking into the Gulf creating one of the largest spills in American
history. During the next 87 days an estimated 4.9 million barrels (210 million gallons) of oil
were released (“Gulf Oil Spill”). This spill is comparable to the 250,000 metric tons of
electronic waste entering Africa from Europe alone, or the 330,000 metric tons of electronic
waste generated from India (Lubick 148). The oil spill ranged over 87 days, polluting
wetlands and covering native species of birds and fish in a thick layer of oil. Even four years
later, parts of the gulf coast have not been able to recover from the tragic spill. This event is
only a single major polluting source however, and while its effects were felt across the gulf
coast, the pollution from improperly disposed of electronics is felt around the world.
Improper disposal of used electronic waste is the single biggest environmental
polluter in the story of electronics. The heavy metals they release into landfills and
eventually the ground water supplies have lasting impacts on the surrounding area and
wildlife. The toxic smoke generated from the low intensity fires designed to melt away
plastic casing to retrieve the precious metals within have contributed to a dramatic increase
in health issues of children in developing nations (Levin). The only way to reduce the
rapidly compounding damage to our environment is to create legislation requiring proper
disposal of used electronics and enforcing existing legislation such as the Basel Convention.
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Another solution is to increase the number of integrated smelters around the world, which
would reduce the cost of recycling used electronics. Integrated smelters in Japan, Sweden,
and Belgium can retrieve up to 95% of the gold contained in printed circuit boards,
compared to the 25% recovery rate from informal recycling centers in China or India
(Kahhat 9). If no changes are made to counteract the damage to the environment, then our
children will be the ones who endure the consequences.
Consequence of Inaction [Value]
As Whitney Houston once said, “I believe the children are our future, teach them
well”. If we do not alter the way in which we handle the improper disposal of electronic
waste, then our children and our children’s children will be the ones who face the
consequences of our inaction. To some politicians and analysts, the problem seems to be
worlds away in the rural back hills of developing nations. However, they fail to consider the
75-78% of used electronics that end up in American landfills that are steadily leeching their
poisonous content into the soil.
Because of the increasing prevalence of informal recycling centers, cases such as
Accara, where high levels of dangerous chemicals have been found in mother’s breast milk,
will continue to increase. Health risks related to improper recycling of used eletronics range
from kidney disease, and brain damage to genetic. Because of increased informal recycling
center activities, “Scientists have discovered that Guiyu, China, has the highest levels of
cancer-causing dioxins in the world. Seven out of ten children in the villages of Guiyu have
too much lead in their bodies with 82% testing positive for lead poisoning” (Levin).
Instead of dismissing these children as another countries problem, we need to learn
from their health mishaps. The electronic waste that is building up in our landfills will not be
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contained forever by the natural and manmade liners. Through helping developing nations
with their environmental management procedures and educating them about the health risks
posed by dangerous informal recycling centers, we can help create a better world for
tomorrow. It will also give us valuable insight into the warning signs of dangerous chemical
buildup in ground water and methods to counteract and reverse the damage to the
environment on American shores.
Instead of ignoring the plight of developing nations, and even contributing to it, we
need to learn from them the cost of the damaging pollution and help them create a safer
alternative. If we fail to take action, we are teaching our children that the environment is not
a priority, and that there are no consequences for our need to access our virtual worlds.
Conclusion
When we toss out our old laptops or cell phones, we are contributing to the problem
of growing electronic waste in America and the world. Starting with the manufacturing of
the new shiny electronic and going all the way through its destruction, our need for
electronics have left a damaging swath on the environment. Through targeted regulation of
the manufacturing, charging and disposal of used electronics that enter and exit the United
States, we can better protect the environment of America and the World. With no
regulations on the improper management of electronics, the health consequences to our
future generations will be beyond repair.
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