1.0 Introduction What is electronic waste? Electronic waste or e-waste is a term for electronic products that have become unwanted, non-working or obsolete, and have essentially reached the end of their useful life. Certain portions of the electronic waste stream are defined and the systems to recover and recycle them will be administratively regulated beyond the universal waste rules that apply to material handling with the passage of the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003. This phenomena is occurred in the high rate of the technology advances. Whole categories of old electronic items contribute to e-waste such as VCRs being replaced by DVD players, and DVD players being replaced by Blu-ray players. The common electronic products such as televisions, VCRs, stereos, computers, copiers, and fax machines. These electronic products are thrown away when they are used after few years or no longer wanted by the consumers. Nowadays, our world was polluted by the e-waste. The ecosystems and drinking water were harmed and facing pollution of the electronic wastes. 1.6 billion cell phones were manufactured in 2012, these electronics are packed with toxic chemicals: arsenic, lead, and poly-brominated flame retardants. The average month an American keeps a cell phone as short as 18 months. 60% of the e-waste are toxic metals which usually ends up with landfill and these toxic will leach into the soil and water. Although electronic products can be recycled, but 30% of the electronic materials cannot be recovered.
In this technological world, millions of people who needs one go without a cell phone. Tons of electronic were thrown away because human do not know how to fix them. In a developing country, there are not enough recyclers to handle all the e-waste. More than 20 million tons of e-waste are produced every year, Americans alone generate about 3.4 million tons of e-waste per year, at least 50% of Africa’s e-waste comes from within the continent and China discards 160 million electronic devices a year. This huge problem must be solved by all countries around this world, not only the government but also the citizen and residents. Factors of electronic waste
Issues of electronic are more serious when the technology more improves in now a day. There are many reasons or factors that cause the electronic waste on the world. One of the reasons is the growth of technology devices. A good example is mobile phone or computers. Many companies or manufactory keep design and produce a better or higher technology of his product to attract the consumer and customer to purchase and order their product. The society are prefers consume for the new product at a higher prices rather than missing the trend. A computer only has an average life span for two years. This factor cause the electronic waste problem keeps increasing and this problem more serious in the developed countries like United States.
Another reason of electronic waste is the growth of population. The rate of population is keeps increasing by year to year even day by day in the world. Now a day, almost all of people have their own computer (laptop) and smart phone. With the growth rate of the sales, that means that the growth of the population and also bringing more problem of electronic waste. Even a child also has their own electronic device, like tab, when they are born in this era because of their parents wants to persuade their children. This situation will cause the throw of electronic device when a product came out or the device is already “old trend”.
The human mentality also one of the reasons causes electronic waste. Since the society is getting smarter and getting better jobs, more people are getting wealthier. This income will make them to improve their quality of life or use to improve and buying their electronic device. The new products and electronic device came out will lead them to change their old model to a new model because of their income already become wealthier. Society need to start thinking about the global issues like electronic waste problem become serious and find out the solution. All of the awareness is also depend on their own mentality.
Another reason is lack of awareness in the society. Society does not respond on the activity of recycle electronic device while the recycle the electronic device actually can decrease or solving the problem of electronic waste. Society are lack of awareness to make them practice recycle the unused electronic device. The society only care about what will make their life easier but they are not thinking about the future problem when the electronic become serious. Awareness of the society is important to prevent the problem of electronic waste.
The government policy is also the factors that cause the electronic waste. A responsibility government should encourage their community to keeping and joining the lifestyle of recycle the electronic device. If the government does not implement policy in their country to recycle the electronic device, then the electronic waste problem will become serious and worse. The government should create something to putting the electronic device. It can encourage and convenience the residents to recycle their unused electronic device. Effects of Electronic Waste There are many effects of electronic waste that can cause harmful things whether for us humans or any other different species and our world. A recent report from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) found that nearly 90 percent of electronic waste is being illegally dumped and traded. Due to this issue that was being uphold, many countries especially the developing ones doesn’t have protocols or laws on the prevention of the electronic waste yet. They handle electronic waste from developed countries, and from their own internal consumers.
Thus, a growing black market emerged with illegal traffickers posing as a legitimate disposal services make the current news become worse as they dumped tons of electronic waste in random spots across the world. This leading to environmental risks from the internal components of discarded electronics from devices like mobile phones, televisions, PDA’s and digital cameras specifically heavy metals as they have elements or toxins that can cause damaging to human body and our environment.
One of the element in electronic devices that can cause harmful effects is lead as they are extremely harmful to the human body as they can damages both the central and peripheral nervous systems, high blood pressure, adversely affects child development. Another element in the device component is mercury as they are harmful to our mouth, teeth and gums, and also attacks the central nervous and endocrine systems. Besides that, beryllium forms significant portions of electrical connectors. Long term exposure on beryllium can be carcinogenic, especially for the lungs. Extreme exposure also can lead to a potentially fatal condition known as Acute Beryllium Disease.
Arsenic also can cause damages to our body as arsenic is a notoriously potent poison that causes severe damage to the digestive tract. Antimony is similar as arsenic as the effect, they are toxic to humans but fatal in large doses. The last one element that causes harmful effect to human are cadmium as they are potentially carcinogenic, as repeated exposure to cadmium can damage the lungs, kidneys and liver. Informal recycling markets in China, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Philippines handle anywhere from 50 percent to 80 percent of this e-waste, often shredding, burning, and dismantling the products in "backyards." Emissions from these recycling practices are damaging human health and the environment.
Developing countries with rapidly growing economies handle electronic waste from developed countries, and from their own internal consumers. Currently, an estimated 70 percent of e-waste handled in India is from other nations, but the UNEP estimates that between 2007 and 2020, domestic television electronic waste will double, computer electronic waste will increase five times, and cell phones 18 times.
The informal sector's recycling practices magnify health risks. For example, primary and secondary exposure to toxic metals, such as lead, results mainly from open-air burning used to retrieve valuable components such as gold. Combustion from burning electronic waste creates fine particulate matter, which is linked to pulmonary and cardiovascular disease.
While the health implications of electronic waste are difficult to isolate due to the informal working conditions, poverty, and poor sanitation, several studies in Guiyu, a city in southeastern China, offer insight. Guiyu is known as the largest electronic waste recycling site in the world, and the city's residents exhibit substantial digestive, neurological, respiratory, and bone problems. For example, 80 percent of Guiyu's children experience respiratory ailments, and are especially at risk of lead poisoning.
Residents of Guiyu are not the only ones at risk. Researchers such as Brett Robinson, a professor of soil and physical sciences at Lincoln University in New Zealand, warn that wind patterns in Southeast China disperse toxic particles released by open-air burning across the Pearl River Delta Region, home to 45 million people. In this way, toxic chemicals from electronic waste enter the "soil-crop-food pathway," one of the most significant routes for heavy metals' exposure to humans. These chemicals are not biodegradable—they persist in the environment for long periods of time, increasing exposure risk.
The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal bans the exchange of hazardous waste, including e-waste, between developed and developing countries. The United States is the largest generator of e-waste worldwide and the only industrialized nation not yet ratifying the Basel Convention.
Electronic waste is an important global environmental and health issue. Promising policy responses have arisen from the European Union, which is defining the source as responsible for electronic waste. With this approach, manufacturers are required to eliminate dangerous toxins from production.
Roughly 40 million metric tons of electronic waste (e-waste) produced globally each year, and about 13 percent of that weight is recycled mostly in developing countries. About 9 million tons of this waste—discarded televisions, computers, cellphones, and other electronics—are produced by the European Union, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). And UNEP notes that this estimate of waste is likely too low. Prevention-electronic waste Electronic waste or e-waste are the electronic products that have become unwanted, broken or non-working electronic device and have reached the end of their useful life such as cell phones, computers, televisions, fax machines and other appliances. Some electronic waste contains harmful toxins and materials to human if they did not manage effectively. The best way to prevent e-waste is donate or sell your product to someone who need it or can use it if you do not want to keep the product. We can selling our old electronic items that still working to the second hand shop. We can also search the local organizations, schools and charities nearby our area that may want the old electronic items. For example, we can donate the old PC or electronic equipment that still in good condition to the charity. Another alternative is when we decide to buy an electronic device, we must make sure we purchase something we need and choose the closest items that we are looking for. We must choose the one which is on the top list of our choice and it consists of many functions and more benefits for us. As a smart user, we must always maintain our electronic gadgets in good condition to reduce e-waste. We must try to choose the products that are made of materials with fewer toxic chemicals and buy the products from companies who support the recycle and reuse of electronic items. Besides that, the approach to prevent e-waste is educate and organize. It is very important to manage them in the right way because most electronic gadgets have toxic chemicals. So, we must always educate ourselves, neighbours and family members about the concept of reuse and recycle. We can ask teacher or parents to help us set up a gadget repair project or club so we learn to fix the broken electronic gadgets. In addition, the effective way to prevent e-waste is to stop buying electronics unless and until you really need it. Governments should enforce strict regulations and heavy punishment on industries which do not practice waste prevention. Governments must take part in the activities to solve the e-waste problems with NGOs and other organizations. They can provide opportunities to cooperate with manufacturers and retailers to contribute in the process of recycling services.
We understood by the responsibilities of the citizen is the most important factors to prevent E-waste.
We, ourselves play an important role to prevent electronic waste. Always think twice and re-evaluate when you want to buy an electronic gadget. Do you really need it? When we intend to buy an electronic device, there are several things that we should bare and keep in our mind. We should always try to make as much use as we can of the electronic that we already have. Don’t simply buy an electronic device once they are introduced in the market or mainly because of fashion, design or whatsoever. We should always find one device with multiple functions. For example, if you like to take photos, you can spend more to get high megapixel phone instead of buying a camera and a phone.
Other than that, we should always take care and extend the life of our electronics. We can provide our electronic device a case to protect it. Always keep our device clean and avoid overcharging the battery in order to extend battery life. If we really want to change our electronic devices, we can sell it or donate it. There are many resources online for selling second –hand electronics such as: eBay, Gazelle, Usell or even social media network like Facebook, Instagram etc. Besides, second-hand shop is also another alternative. Selling second-handed electronics also benefits ourselves in term of money.
If your electronic gadget is outdated, always consider an upgrade of the product or the technology inbuilt, instead of replacement, or replacement of individual component instead of the whole product. If the electronics are really way too old, and you really consider change a new one, like what stated at above, we could just donate the old electronic device to the charities. Letting people to reuse it’s a way of being friendly to the environment and also benefits the society and become a blessing to other people.
If our electronics are having problems, reparation should be encouraged. We should try our best to repair and restore our electronics.
Prevention of e-waste will give rise to a safer and a greener earth. As one of the earth and the nature, we should cooperate and pull together to protect and save the mother earth.