E-Waste
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The EPA estimates that less than 10% of mobile phones are getting recycled, and only about 25% of all e-waste (by weight) ends up being collected for recycling. |
Electronic waste, also known as e-waste, is the discarding of electrical or electronic devices, such as computers, office electronic equipment, entertainment device electronics, mobile phones, television sets, refrigerators etc. E-waste is a global problem, especially with the transboundary movement of e-waste where developed countries ship their discarded electronic equipment to less developed countries. Upon destination, the e-waste can simply be dumped or dismantled and burned, producing toxic emissions harmful to waste site workers, the environment and nearby communities. E-waste contains a vast array of toxic components including mercury, lead, cadmium, polybrominated flame retardants, barium and lithium and due to this immense toxic diversity, affects nearly every system in the human body. Even the plastic casings of electronics products contain Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), which can leak dioxin, one of the most toxic chemicals on the planet. E-waste pollution in the air, that workers in e-waste dumps breath in constantly, causes inflammation and stress that leads to heart disease, DNA damage and possibly even cancer. Furthermore, the health effects of these toxins on humans include birth defects, brain, heart, liver, kidney and skeletal system damage and can significantly affect the nervous and reproductive systems of the human body. E-waste currently constitutes 2 - 5% of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream and is rising by 3 - 5% per year. Yet, according to the Global Futures Foundation, e-waste accounts for 70% of the overall toxic waste currently found in landfills. All of these toxins are persistent, bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs) that create environmental and health risks when incinerated, put in landfills or melted down. When e-waste is burned, it creates cancer-producing dioxins which are released into the air we breathe. If e-waste is thrown in a landfill, it's toxins may leach into groundwater affecting local communities. The only safe way to dispose of e-waste is to properly recycle or donate it or try selling or trading it for further use and to keep it's lifespan going! Learn more.
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“E-waste is a big problem and it’s only going to get bigger. It’s one of the things that makes me truly cringe about the information age in that the leftover components are all getting dumped in countries such as those in Sub-Saharan Africa. People have few ways to fight back other than to deal with what is dumped upon their shores. And when they do fight back, suddenly, they’re called pirates…For anyone who thinks that they need the latest iPod/iPhone, or laptop marvel, they should come and stay for awhile in rural areas in Africa where the trash is burned daily and you’re breathing in an ungodly amount of things you’d rather not know about (mainly damnable petrochemicals.) For me, in a few months, I won’t breath this anymore, but for the people here, it’s constantly in the air and it’s only growing more. Think the next time you buy an electronics item, stop and think if you really and truly need it.” ~Miquel, Subsaharska
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"The amount of electronic products discarded globally has skyrocketed recently, with 20-50 million tonnes generated every year. If such a huge figure is hard to imagine, think of it like this - if the estimated amount of e-waste generated every year would be put into containers on a train it would go once around the world!" ~Greenpeace |
According to a 2011 study in the journal of the Institute of Physics, Environmental Research Letters, taking apart and discarding cell phones, computers, televisions, and other electronic devices can expose people to contaminants that damage the lungs and possibly contribute to cardiovascular disease and cancer. The researchers said that the study highlights the need to use safer and more environmentally friendly materials in making electronic devices.
Hazardous Electronic Components and their Potential Health Effects
"We have serious concerns about unsafe handling of used electronics and e-waste, in developing countries, that results in harm to human health and the environment. For example, there are problems with open-air burning and acid baths being used to recover valuable materials from electronic components, which expose workers to harmful substances. There are also problems with toxic materials leaching into the environment. These practices can expose workers to high levels of contaminants such as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic, which can lead to irreversible health effects, including cancers, miscarriages, neurological damage and diminished IQs. EPA estimates that, in 2009, US consumers and businesses discarded televisions, computers, cell phones and hard copy peripherals (including printers, scanners, faxes) totaling 2.37 million tons. Approximately 25 percent of these electronics were collected for recycling, with the remainder disposed of primarily in landfills, where the precious metals cannot be recovered."
~EPA Cleaning Up Electronic Waste (E-Waste)
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Sources of E-Waste
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"Every year, the United Nations Environment Program estimates that twenty to fifty million metric tons of e-waste are added to that heap.2 Look around your home: follow the trail from the wires plugged into their sockets, count the toasters, televisions, microwave ovens, DVD players, light bulbs, and other electronic goods; add to that medical devices in hospitals and sophisticated electronic equipment in offices and factories; multiply by several hundred million, and you can do your own calculations as to the dimensions of that future mass of electrical detritus." ~Mark Schapiro, Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power (get the book) (original source: NaturalPedia)
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Last Revised: 11/20/13
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