E-Waste is the growing and a serious problem. The amount of e-waste is growing at an estimated 40 million tons each year. Any improperly disposed electronics can be classified as e-waste.
INTRODUCTION–
"Electronic waste" also known as E-Waste are the discarded electronics such as computers, office electronic equipment, entertainment device, mobile phones, television sets, refrigerators just to name a few. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) refers to e-waste as "electronic products that are discarded by consumers." Electronic-waste (e-waste) has emerged as a critical global environmental health issue in both developed and developing nations.
Nowadays people use lots of electronic devices in their daily lives. Also, they need more comfortable and more developed electronic device to accomplish their businesses. According to customer’s need, the electronic companies keep innovating and developing their goods. People frequently change their electronic device more often than the really need, which results in producing lots of electronic waste.
The disposal of the electronic is a big market to earn profit for some countries. I strongly disagree with this. If we keep growing our E-Waste, we cannot keep our environment fresh and will continue to face lot of serious problems including severe diseases and destruction to the environment. We need to put in place some very strong and effective solutions to eliminate the harsh consequence of the E-waste from governments, industry, and individuals.
Most effective way to control E-Waste would be if the general government in each country makes specific rules for the disposal of electronic waste. Rapid technological innovation resulting in a high obsolete rate of electronic good possesses a direct challenge for its proper disposal and recycling. The companies have the responsibility to handle E-waste from their production processes. The companies’ duty is to keep the environment as well as to make profits. Companies always have the esteem and responsibility on their actions. However, some companies are just interested in earning their assets and saving their budgets. If the companies do not mind to bury the disposal of E-waste on the unaccepted areas, our environment might be fall into disrepair.
SOURCES OF E-WASTE-
Electronic waste especially computer waste is growing exponentially in volume because of increasing demand of information technology and its application in the national growth process. Various government departments, public as well as private sectors are fast feeding old electronic appliances such as computers, telephones, etc, into the waste stream.
• Individual household and small business
• Large business, Institutions, government houses
• PC manufacturers and retailers
• E waste from imports
• Secondary market of old PCs
E-waste from Individual Households-
They are not major contributors to E-waste, but neverthe less number is growing and so it remains as a concern.
E-waste form Business Sectors-
The business sectors (government departments, public or private sector, etc) were the earliest users of electronic products; today they account for 78 per cent of total installed PCs . Hence, they are the major producers of obsolete technology.
E-waste from Manufacturers & Retailers-
PC manufacturer and retailers are next on the list of contributors to the e-waste segment. The waste form this sector comprises of defective IC chips, motherboards, cathode ray tubes (CRTs) and other peripheral items produced during the production process. It also includes defective PCs under guarantee procured from consumers as replacement items.
E-waste from imports-
The biggest sources of PC scrap are imports. Huge quantities of e-waste such as monitors, printers, keyboards, CPUs, typewriters, projectors, mobile phones, PVC Wires, etc are imported. The computers thus imported are of all ranges, models and sizes, and are functional as well as junk materials.
Secondary market-
These are the waste coming from the secondary markets. It includes TV, computers, mobiles, electric boards etc.
In Europe, the production of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is one of the fastest growing business sectors .In Europe the expected growth rate of WEEE is at least 3 to 5% per year. In USA, it accounts 1% to 3% of the total municipal waste generation.
METHODS OF TREATMENT & DISPOSAL and Hazards caused
Landfilling
According to the US EPA, more than 4.6 million tonnes of e-waste ended up in US landfills in 2000. Toxic chemicals in electronics products can leach into the land over time or are released into the atmosphere, impacting nearby communities and the environment. In many European countries, regulations have been introduced to prevent electronic waste being dumped in landfills due to its hazardous content. However, the practice still continues in many countries. In Hong Kong for example, it is estimated that 10-20 percent of discarded computers go to landfill.
Hazards caused
It has become common knowledge that all landfills leak. Even the best “state-of-the-art” landfills are not completely tight throughout their lifetimes and a certain amount of chemical and metal leaching will occur. The situation is worse for older or less stringent dump sites. Mercury will leach when certain electronic devices, such as circuit breakers are destroyed. The same is true for PCBs from a condenser. When brominated flame retarded plastics or cadmium containing plastics are landfilled, both PBDE and the cadmium may leach into the soil and groundwater. It has been found that significant amounts of lead ions are dissolved from broken lead containing glass, such as the cone glass of cathode ray tubes, when mixed with acid waters which commonly occur in landfills
• Inceneraton
This releases heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury into the air and ashes. Mercury released into the atmosphere can bio accumulate in the foodchain, particularly in fish - the major route of exposure for the general public. If the products contain PVC plastic, highly toxic dioxins and furans are also released. Brominated flame retardants generate brominated dioxins and furans when e-waste is burned.
Hazards caused
The incineration of brominated flame-retardants at a low temperature of 600–800 °C may lead to the generation of extremely toxic polybrominated dioxins (PBDDs) and polybrominated furans (PBDfs) . Significant quantity of PVC is contained in e waste, which makes the flue gas residues and air emissions particularly dangerous.
• Recycle & Reuse
A good way to increase a product's lifespan. Many old products are exported to developing countries. Although the benefits of reusing electronics in this way are clear, the practice is causing serious problems because the old products are dumped after a short period of use in areas that are unlikely to have hazardous waste facilities.
Although recycling can be a good way to reuse the raw materials in a product, the hazardous chemicals in e-waste mean that electronics can harm workers in the recycling yards, as well as their neighbouring communities and environment.
In developed countries, electronics recycling takes place in purpose-built recycling plants under controlled conditions. In many EU states for example, plastics from e-waste are not recycled to avoid brominated furans and dioxins being released into the atmosphere. In developing countries however, there are no such controls. Recycling is done by hand in scrap yards, often by children.
Hazards caused Recycling of hazardous products has little environmental benefit. It simply moves the hazard into secondary products that will have to be disposed of eventually. Unless the goal is to redesign the product to use non-hazardous materials, such recycling is an ineffective solution. Halogenated substances contained in e-waste, in particular brominated flame-retardants are also of concern during the extrusion of plastics, which is a part of plastic recycling. Environmental problems during the recycling of e-waste are not only linked to halogenated substances. A hazardous emission into the air also results from recycling of e-waste containing heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium. These emissions could be significantly reduced by means of pretreatment operation. Another problem with heavy metals and halogenated substances in untreated e-waste occurs during the shredding process. Since most of e-wastes are shredded without proper disassembly, hazardous substances, such as PCB containing in capacitors, may be dispersed into the recovered metals and the shredder waste.
Conclusion
Companies should have specific plan for handling E-waste. For example, the IT companies give extend offer to customers for upgrading their electronic devices. If companies have the flexible policy to upgrade the sale devices, customers do not need to change frequently their electronic devices. Also, companies can legally save money to dispose E-waste. By the use of these kinds of policies, companies and customers both will be in a win-win situation. People can protect themselves from the side effect of disposal of E-waste. Technical solutions are available, but in most cases a legal framework, a collection system, logistics, and other services need to be implemented before a technical solution can be applied.
Responsible disposal of e-waste assures: IT assets are put to their highest and best use to lighten the burden on the environment Toxics in e-waste never go to the developing world to harm the environment
To sum, the disposal of E-waste is a big issue throughout the world society. But many people do not recognize how serious about E-waste. If some people have a misconception of E-waste, they will be facing on the serious problem. It generates the environmental problem and human beings diseases. The disposal of E-waste can be a big deal to make lots of profits. But that has huge side effects. If we want to keep our environment and health, we recognize about E-waste correctly. So I suggest some solutions to people who have no idea about E-waste. The government and the companies’ role are important to handle the E-waste problem. However, most important thing is that we have responsibilities and ownership to keep clear environments in our societies. If people can gather their power for keeping our societies, we can make better environment. Also, we can leave the clear environment to our descendant
Refernces.. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10661-010-1331-9?LI=true# http://www.industryleadersmagazine.com/recycling-e-waste-becoming-big-profitable-business/
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Refernces..
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10661-010-1331-9?LI=true# 