Techstein

The never ending race of acquiring the latest gadgets, equipments or machines has been a benchmark of social status since the The First Industrial Revolution. As the world continues with new Technological advancements everyday, which are intended to make life easier for humankind. Unfortunately, it leaves behind a sad trail of the forgotten or “expired”.

Electronic waste is simply defined as the discarded electrical or electronic devices that are poorly recycled. The Dilemma is that most of the consumers have no idea how their electical appliances should be disposed off properly, which leads to the generation of E-waste. According to a UN Report a total of 50 million tons of Electronic waste is generated in a single year. This “waste” is worth $62.5 billion (due to the presence of rare metals like silver and gold in them) , which is alot more than the GDP of some countries.

Waste to some, it is a fortune to others which comes with a heavy cost. The waste generated in developed countries like USA ,UK and Canada is sent to a recycling plant where it is shredded, sorted and then seperated in order to perform efficient recycling. This waste consists of harmful chemicals like lead, arsenic, cadmium which when brought to a landfill may absorb in the ground and contaminate the water supply. The process of properly recycling this waste is rather long and the cost of operating a recycling plant can be high. So, some recycling companies “Illegally” send this waste to developing countries across the globe which costs alot less.

Once there, most of the workers who come in contact with this waste do not have proper gear or knowledge about safe handling, end up damaging their bodies with these harmful chemicals. It is then burned which produces toxic fumes that contaminate the atmosphere and causes breathing problems. According to a report by the BBC pollution caused by burning E-waste accounts for 23% deaths in these countries and over 200 million people are at a risk of exposure to toxic waste.

Steps to ensure proper disposal of your E-waste:

• Once you discard your cellphone, laptop or any other electronic gadget make sure to return it to the manufacturer where it can be properly disassembeled and sent to a recycling plant.
• Your old device which you no longer use can be useful for an NGO, if the device is in a working state consider donating it, so that other may benefit from it.
• There are many online sites where you can sell your outdated device and earn some money off it rather than throwing it away.
• Learn the basics of repairing. People often tend to discard their devices even if it has the slightest of complications. One must be able enough to fix the problem to ensure that they are contributing to tackle the bigger issue.

E-waste is considered a global commodity, and if properly recycled has the potential of recovering materials such as iron, silver, gold, aluminium, which can be a source of supporting the economy of developing countries. The laws governing proper disposal of E-waste must be strictly implemented by every major producing country to ensure the survival of a healthy atmosphere as well as eradicating the concept of illegal exports for good.