How can e-waste be a problem?

Proper e-waste disposal system

With every passing day, we thrive on getting our hands on new pieces of technology introduced into the market. Any new launch of technology makes old devices out of circulation, and we replace them with a new ones. These old system models are discarded regularly, piling up in a trash area. This thirst for new technology makes the e-waste stream the fastest growing ratio worldwide.

Australians are among the highest users of technology and e-waste is the fastest growing types of waste generated.

The most recent statistics by the ABS department show that the Australian economy domestically generated 465,818 tons of e-waste in 2016-17, with 253,507 tones, or 54.4%, going to landfill.

_{Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics}

What is mean by e-waste?

E-waste, also used as electronic waste, refers to electronic devices at the end of their working life. Laptops, smartphones, fax machines, copiers, or old computers that are of no use are either dumped or disposed of in landfills.

The enormous growth in the IT sector has compelled consumers to discard obsolete products, potentially contributing to electronic trash.

The toxic substance in these tech devices damages landfills if proper recycling or reconditioning is not done.

According to a report, only 20% of the tech products are documented and formally recycled; the rest 80% is either burnt or informally disposed of in landfills.

Why is e-waste a problem?

E-waste is an ever-increasing problem globally. The tech unit consumption in developed and developing countries has constantly been growing.

The contemporary consumer is finding ways to enjoy a more comfortable lifestyle. But with these understandable demands creates a downstream problem of safe e-disposal.

E-waste is non-biodegradable, toxic, and harmful to water, soil, air, and human health.

It is difficult to quantify the exact e-waste proportion, but it is known that improper systems and rudimentary methods are adopted to recover valuable elements. This raises the concern of initiating a proper facility of disposal.

Dangerous chemical such as mercury, lead, lithium, cadmium, or other harmful substances exposed to heat creates hazardous effects on Earth.

Many discarded electronics are filled with valuable prized materials like gold, silver, cobalt, aluminum, palladium, and copper. When proper disposal is not done, we lose many precious resources.

Hidden dangers of Technology: Environment and health consequences from E-waste exposure

The adverse consequences on human health, other species, and the environment is reported when improper e-waste disposal is carried out, such as dismantling, melting, burning, or shredding discarded material.

Open-air burning and acid baths conducted to recover valuable materials from electronic equipment release toxic chemicals that accumulate in the environment, soil, air, and water.

According to a report, human and other wildlife species are exposed to a complex mixture of toxic substances, resulting in a significant loss of economic resources.

A study by researchers from the WHO Public health and Environmental department at the University of Queensland, Australia, confirms that unregulated landfill hazards can fuel potential risk of cancer, miscarriages, behavioral changes, several mutagenic problems, decreased lung function, and other chronic diseases.

Health and safety impact

Disposing of e-waste requires manual components disassembly, leaving workers with many physical injuries. The disassembly process for recovering valuable elements from electronics involves high-risk processes – smelting and acid usage- which can harm the work environment and physical health.

Companies that are well-acquainted with e-waste disposal techniques and the system should be considered to mitigate the harmful impacts. Many companies have recognized this need and come up with sustainable solutions.

Proper E-waste disposal system- why does it matter?

E-waste damage has been building for decades and calls for a responsible initiative to protect human health and the environment from e-waste contaminants.

Co-founder OF Spring, JAMES SEEAR, States-

“We love tech, but the way we consume these devices needs to change. Consumer don’t realize that leaving an unused electronic in the drawer is as bad as throwing them in the bin“-

There are a few significant reasons why there is a need to have a proper e-waste disposal system.

• A sustainable process to support a circular economy—e-waste that is simply consumer trash can potentially benefit tech recyclers. They use raw materials in old equipment, recycle them and convert them into refurbished products, saving a considerable margin on virgin resource extraction and energy consumption.
• Protection from adverse effects of toxic material– Tech equipment can harm both humans and wildlife because of its toxicity elements, particularly arsenic and lead. On disposing or burning, the substance leaches into the environment, polluting the air, water, and soil and people’s livelihood near landfills.
• Law legislation– For some countries, it’s illegal to dispose of electronic devices in the regular trash. To abide by the law, proper tech disposal is needed.

Every other person or organization is taking tech help. Each working process is tech-dependent- Communication, networking, data storage, financial security, and informational search. To be technically competent, new devices need to replace the old.

The struggle requires a lot of money to acquire the latest technology and equipment.

This continuous acquisition journey terms them as “PROGRESSING”-disposing of old with new. But what about the e-waste created aside?

Everyone has that one junk bag that contains old electronics. The acquisitions of these devices are getting bigger in number day by day. At this point, an e-waste management system is a viable option for alleviating environmental harm.

E-waste recycling Option

• Pro IT Recyclers responsible computer recycler company. It is providing you with the most efficient e-waste solutions for the growing e-waste problem to help sustain the environment.

The bottom line

Covid 19 pandemic has fueled a growth in people working from home and prompted a boom in demand for technology. With our reliance on these technological systems come along a massive impact of e-waste.

Our old devices are not entirely dead; we tend to shift to new gadgets because of technological shifts and software updates. Manufacturers need to introduce policies to combat the issue of obsolescence.

Government should also provide facilities for proper e-waste disposal management. Any old technology should either be reused, donated, or recycled to avoid e-waste impacts.