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E-Waste
E-Waste is short for electronic waste. It is a term used to describe any electrical device that is
discarded. According to ewasteguide.info, “…e-Waste contains both valuable materials as well as
hazardous materials which require special handling and recycling methods. This guide covers all
categories of e-waste but emphasizes categories which contain problematic, scarce and valuable or
otherwise interesting materials. Examples: Computers, LCD / CRT screens, cooling appliances, mobile
phones, etc., contain precious metals, flame retarded plastics, CFC foams and many other substances.” 1
The recycling of these materials would be ideal; however this does not always happen. Many of the
gadgets that we use on a daily basis, that are so valued, yet thrown out so easily when an update is
available, ends up in a digital dump, a Wi-Fi wasteland, or a laptop landfill. When not properly handled
theses materials can be detrimental to the earth and the human beings that occupy it. However, if
recycled or given a second chance at life, the materials can be put back into use and not take up
valuable space on earth.
The raw materials that make up the electronics that we use are not just the plastic and glass
that we see when we glance at the appliance. Lead, nickel, cadmium, mercury, copper, and gold are just
some of the few metals used in computers and cell phones. The Environmental Protection Agency
states, “Recycling electronics recovers valuable materials and as a result, we reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, reduce pollution, save energy, and save resources by extracting fewer raw materials from the
earth.”2 However, approximately 205,500,0003 computer products and 140,300,000 cell phones4 are
thrown away each year in the United States. Only a small percentage of those are recycled.
11
“e-Waste Definition”, e-Waste Guide, http://ewasteguide.info/e_waste_definition, (accessed January 8, 2011)
“Frequent Questions”, Waste, Resource Conservation, Common Wastes and Materials, E-Cycling
http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/materials/ecycling/faq.htm#impact, (accessed January 8, 2011).
3
Ibid.
2
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Some of the precious metals used in laptops and cell phones, particularly tin, tungsten,
tantalum, and gold start off in a mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The workers there are given
no protection from the elements, often working with a flashlight tied to their head with a shoestring.
Many children are also used as slave labor. So if the people are given no protection there must be no
attention given to the mines either. So, from the start, electronics do not start off on a very good foot.
After they are smuggled out of Congo, through Rwanda or Uganda, they are shipped to an Asia country
to be refined and manufactured. From there they are distributed to developed countries to be sold as IPads, Blue-Ray Players, Blackberries, etc. After the consumer uses their product it is throw away and, if
not recycled, may end up once again in a third world country.
While some of us may have good intentions by selling or giving our electronics back to
manufactures for recycling, sometimes the companies have ulterior motives. Often it is cheaper for the
manufacturer to export the electronic to third world countries. Some of the countries that our e-Waste
are sent to are Nigeria, China, India, and Pakistan. According to Electronics Take Back Coalition website,
“Traders send it to developing countries where workers earn extremely low wages (often a few dollars
per day) and where health and safety and environmental laws, enforcement, infrastructure and citizens’
rights are very weak.”5 The way that these electronics are broken down is either directly or indirectly
affecting the environment and the people’s health. A case study conducted in Guiyu, China revealed the
many ways its citizens are breaking down electronic equipment-
“-Bashing open cathode ray tubes with hammers, exposing the toxic phosphor dust
inside.
-Cooking circuit boards in woks over open fires to melt the lead solder, breathing in
toxic lead fumes.
4
Ibid.
“Responsible Recycling vs. Global Dumping”, Electronics Take Back Coalition,
http://www.electronicstakeback.com/global-e-waste-dumping/, (accessed January 8, 2011).
5
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-Burning wires in open piles to melt away the plastics (to get at the copper inside).
-Burning the plastic casings, creating dioxins and furans – some of the most poisonous
fumes you can breathe.
-Throwing the unwanted (but very hazardous) leaded glass into former irrigation ditches
-Dumping pure acids and dissolved heavy metals directly into their rivers.”6
Without knowing the composition of these elements the lay person can conclude that
the breathing in and consuming of these noxious materials can be hazardous to your health.
Burning toxins can lead to respiratory problems; dumping toxins poisons water used for
everyday living. Even when just left to linger in a dump, the toxins will eventually leak into the
ground and make its way to the water supply. Also, in third world countries, where survival is
the main objective, today is more important than tomorrow.
Some of the main toxin released when electronics are improperly disposed of are lead
and mercury. Lead is a neurotoxin meaning it attacks your nervous system. According to
mayoclinic.com, “Lead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in the body, often over a period of
months or years. Children under the age of 6 are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which
can severely affect mental and physical development. At very high levels, lead poisoning can be
fatal.”7 Lead poisoning can be spread from mother to unborn child and through breast milk.
Treatment can be effective however, not if a person is constantly exposed to lead.
Mercury can affect humans and animals alike. Mercury that is dumped into water
effects the fish and anything that consumes it. An excellent but tragic example of this happened
in Minamata, Japan. A chemical company in Minamata, Japan began dumping mercury, another
6
“Responsible Recycling vs. Global Dumping”, Electronics Take Back Coalition,
http://www.electronicstakeback.com/global-e-waste-dumping/, (accessed January 8, 2011).
7
“Lead Poisoning”, Mayo Clinic, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lead-poisoning/FL00068, (accessed January 8,
2011).
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neurotoxin, into the water surrounding the area in 1956. The mercury collected in the fish that
was consumed by the population near Minamata. The result was Minamata Disease or mercury
poisoning. Along with effecting the population, it had severe effects on unborn children similar
to cerebral palsy.
The burning of the plastic coating around wires releases dioxins. According to the World
Health Organization’s website dioxins are described as, “… environmental pollutants. They have
the dubious distinction of belonging to the ‘dirty dozen’ - a group of dangerous chemicals known
as persistent organic pollutants. Dioxins are of concern because of their highly toxic potential.
The chemical name for dioxin is: 2,3,7,8- tetrachlorodibenzo para dioxin (TCDD).”8 Dioxins that
are released into the environment accrue in animal’s fatty tissues. When people consume
animal products the dioxins are transferred to the population. Dioxins are known to cause
cancer and many other health problems.
Although this environmental and health issue is still a huge problem there are many
things that are being done. The Basel Convention, which has been ratified by every developed
country in the world except The United States, began in the late 1980’s to regulate the transport
of toxic electronic waste from rich countries to third world countries. According to the Basel
Convention website the main objectives of the Basel Convention were “…to minimize the
generation of hazardous wastes in terms of quantity and hazardousness; to dispose of them as
close to the source of generation as possible; to reduce the movement of hazardous wastes.”9
The Basel Action Network is an organization lead by lawyers, activists, and environmentalist who
are committed to upholding the Basel Conventions and preventing the toxic chemical crisis.
8
“Dioxins and their effects on human health”, World Health Organization,
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs225/en/, (accessed January 8, 2011).
9
“Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal”, UNEP,
http://www.basel.int/convention/basics.html#10, (accessed January 9, 2011)
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An individual who wants to “think globally but act locally” can look into programs that
give electronics a second chance at life. Call to Protect is a charitable organization which collects
cell phones and refurbishes them for women and children who are trapped in a domestic
violence situation. An I-Phone, which was brand new two years ago but is outdated to the
general public now, can be erased of all personal information and could save a life if donated to
a charity cause such as Call to Protect.
Personally I can think of many people in the Chicago-land area who would love a
refurbished laptop. They wouldn’t care if it had an LED screen, if it was from the year 2006, or if
it was a Mac or PC. An idea could be similar to the donated cell phones program. When a laptop
becomes obsolete to one person, it can be donated to a program where beginning college
students refurbish it as a project for one of their classes. It is actually a great idea for a school
like DePaul where giving back to the community is one of the objectives.
E-Waste is a problem for all of us that occupy this planet, our home. What will happen
to the computer I am typing on when it no longer works properly? Will its part be recycled, will
it be refurbished and used by another person, or will it be in a dump and the toxic components
in it contaminate the ground water for decades? The answers to these questions have a
collective and individual answer. Awareness and advocacy are some of the actions that can
confront this issue head on. Education of oneself is always important. When we share our
knowledge and our technology none of it will end up in the garbage.
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Bibliography
“Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their
Disposal”. UNEP, http://www.basel.int/convention/basics.html#10. (accessed January 9, 2011).
“Dioxins and their effects on human health”. World Health Organization.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs225/en/. (Accessed January 8, 2011).
“E-Waste Definition”. E-Waste Guide. http://ewasteguide.info/e_waste_definition. (accessed January 8,
2011)
“Frequent Questions”. Waste, Resource Conservation, Common Wastes and Materials, E-Cycling
http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/materials/ecycling/faq.htm#impact. (accessed January 8,
2011).
“Lead Poisoning”. Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lead-poisoning/FL00068. (accessed
January 8, 2011).
“Responsible Recycling vs. Global Dumping”. Electronics Take Back Coalition.
http://www.electronicstakeback.com/global-e-waste-dumping/. (accessed January 8, 2011).