Climbing down from our Mountain of E-waste |
Posted: December 30, 2015 |
In the past, electronic devices were used for simple displaying of data. However, modern electronic devices offer a lot more – they talk, listen, measure and work with other pieces of electronics and ultimately create what is now known as the Internet of Things or wearable or connected devices. These devices tend to last longer and use the resources to the maximum. For instance an integrated air condition system and security system can prevent accidents and provide ultimate heating or cooling. Even though this progress is spectacular, the fact is that it comes at a price. This time the price is increased amount of electronic or e-waste. E-waste is a type of waste that consists of electronic devices that are no longer used due to their malfunctions or because they are outdated. Since the amount of e-waste is rapidly growing, we must think more about how we handle this waste and how to use the most from the materials used in these devices. There are many experts that are part of discussions and seminars in which people learn new things about this problem. One of the main problems of electronic waste is that more and more devices are discarded each year. According to the UN more than 51 million tons of e-waste is produced every year and there is a trend of buying electronic devices that are used for a relatively short period of time. This means that we create waste worth more than 21 billion dollars (if we take the silver and gold used in electronic device into consideration). On the other hand, only 15% of the e-waste in the world is recycled. Although the situation in the developed countries is improving, some growing economies like India experience problems because more than 85% of this waste ends up in landfills or in places that are not safe. Another thing that makes this problem so complicated is the use of many different materials in each device even in the smallest ones. Glass, metal, plastic – these are some of the common materials found in electronic devices, but since they are not very expensive they are often thrown away. In the end, the absence of strict regulation with standards that will be followed everywhere is another reason why the amount of e-waste is growing and why we are not handling this problem as we should. The regulation implemented by the European Union is good example and it can be used as basis for future regulations and laws in other countries that lack these standards. The good news is that there are many ways in which we can solve or at least ease these problems. For instance, manufacturers can focus on producing devices that can be easily upgraded or repaired. Furthermore, they can focus on materials that can be easily recycled and reused. In addition, governments can support green solutions and provide incentives for practicing recycling. There is no doubt that electronic waste is a serious and complex problem, but it is crucial to understand that it is not unsolvable. Recycling of electronic waste is best way to deal with it.
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