Technology is growing too fast and companies upgrade their devices every year. In the race of profits, companies are producing too many devices to sell. Companies try to sell millions of their products every year and they increase the sales figure target, but they usually ignore the fact that their increasing production is creating a big issue. There is a big problem no one is talking about. Where do old discarded gadgets go? We usually throw old gadgets in the garbage, but this should not be done. Discarded electronics gadgets contain toxic materials, so these discarded gadgets should be treated properly. In this article, I will tell you how the old discarded gadgets are affecting our health and what you can do to solve this issue.
Also read: Smartphones affect your sleep
Electronic waste
Electronic Waste or E-Waste is the term used to define the discarded computers, office electronic equipment, mobile phones, televisions, and other electronics entertainment devices. If you throw your old radio or any other device in the garbage, you are actually harming your environment.
Each year, the world produce tons of electronics waste. According to United Nations Environment Program report, up to 50 million tons of electronic waste—mainly computers and smartphones—are expected to be dumped in 2017.
If you are not sure how this can harm you, you should keep reading.
Effects of e-waste on our environment
Improper electronic waste disposal leads to negative impact on our environment. Electronics devices contain toxic materials like zinc, nickel, lead, barium and chromium that are not good for our health.Toxins from metals in electronics are released into the atmosphere. Toxic materials seep out into the environment contaminating land, water, and the air. This lead to a variety of health problems including cancer, neurological and respiratory disorders, and birth defects.
Most of the developing countries lack the waste removal infrastructure and technical capacities required to ensure the safe disposal this electronic waste. The cost of recycling e-Waste also exceeds the revenue generated by materials recovered due to strict environment regulations. So, companies dump e-waste in countries where environmental standards are low or nonexistent. Initially, they used Asia and now using West Africa as dumping ground.
They dump the e-waste in poor nations where they did landfill to get rid of e-waste. Some companies also have recycle plants in these Asian and African countries. Here, the e-waste is recycled by hand, exposing the people who do it to environmental hazards.
Guiyu, in Guangdong province, southern China, was described as the e-waste capital of the world. This place is dead now.
Here is what you can do
E-waste is a serious issue and very few people or companies actually think about it seriously. Everyone has a role to play and here is what you can do from your end.
As a consumer, you should resell or recycle your old devices in place is making it an e-waste. Recycling Electronic Waste is the most effective way to solve the issue. Most of the electronics devices contain materials that can be recycled and re-used again. By recycling e-waste, we can minimize the dangers to human health and the environment.
A large number of what is labeled as “e-waste” is actually not waste at all, but rather whole electronic equipment or parts that are readily marketable for reuse or can be recycled for materials recovery.
You should also stop acquiring new devices until you really need them. If your product works fine, you can sell it. There are thousands of people who cannot afford the new, but they will love to buy the used product in lower cost.
Companies selling these electronic devices should start thinking about proper recycling or their products and encourage their consumers about recycling.
In case you do not know, Apple has Apple Renew program that pays you in Apple gift cards and good Earth vibes to recycle old Apple products. Samsung also has similar kind of program to recycle your old Samsung products. There are lots of other countries with the recycling program. But, people generally do not know why should they recycle. So, the end up ignoring this serious thing.
As per the reports, less than 20% of e-waste is currently recycled.
I will write a detailed guide about how to recycle your old gadget later. So, stay tuned and subscribe to get notifications for all articles we publish.
Governments should make a clear policy to regulate electronic waste. They must start taking serious actions against companies that are illegally exporting e-waste to poor nations and dumping it there. They should also start putting recycling bins around across the cities and partner with companies working in electronic waste recycling.
Final Words
It is important to properly process the e-waste and reduce a number of toxic elements disposing of in our environment. You must know how to properly recycle your old product and avoid throwing it in the garbage. We should also start recycling of e-waste in a similar way we do the recycling of newspaper, bottles, and cans.
