The Amount of Electronic Waste Worldwide:
E-waste is considered the "fastest-growing waste stream in the world with 44.7 million tones generated in 2016- equivalent to 4500 Eiffel towers. In 2018, an estimated 50 million tones of e-waste were reported, thus the name ‘tsunami of e-waste’ given by the UN. Its value is at least $62.5 billion annually.
Ways to Reduce E-Waste and its Hazards
- Sell old Electronics
- Donate old Electronics
- Recycle and Dispose of E-Waste
- Repurpose or Refurb.
- Store Data Online.
The 6 R principle is:
- Reduce
- Reuse
- Repair
- Recycle
- Refurb
- Re-sell
Why E-Waste Management Is Important:
Consumers today revolve around technology and by the constant need for the newest and most high-tech products we are contributing to a mass amount of e-waste. Since the invention of the iPhone, cell phones have become the top source of e-waste products because they are not made to last more than two years.
When improperly disposed of, the heavy metals, plastics and glass in e-waste can pollute the air or seep into waterways. Recycling e-waste can significantly decrease the demand for mining heavy metals and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing virgin materials. Electrical waste contains hazardous but also valuable and scarce materials and up to 60 elements can be found in complex electronics. When e-waste is tossed into landfills, these chemicals leach into the soil, polluting the ground water as well as the air.
With recycling, a substantial portion of our waste can be broken down into their original elements and be used to produce new materials. In this way, we can reduce the harmful waste we discard into the environment. Besides the environmental reasons for recycling, there are also other reasons why recycling is important. Recycling contributes to the economy! This is because recycling conserves resources and saves money, creates jobs and even generates revenue!
What e-waste can be recycled?
- Computers – PCs, tablets, hard drives, printers, monitors, laptops etc.
- Electrical Cable
- Batteries (all types of chemistry and size.)
- Mobile phones.
- Plastics.
- Industrial electricity equipment.
- Televisions – CRT/ Plasma/LCD/LED.
- Photovoltaic cells.
- Fluorescent tubes and light bulbs.
- Household Appliances.
- Cartridges.
