E-waste is an abbreviated form of electronic waste. It refers to electronics which are nearing the end or are no longer helpful; therefore, they are discarded. These discarded electronic items are also donated and lastly, it reaches the recycler. But it so happens that the entire electronic item is not useless, there are parts of it which can be reused. If properly done, e-waste can be managed by making use of the good parts of electronics from the trash, then not only can the actual waste be minimized, but also can save some landfills or dumping sites.
The use of electronic items has become very prevalent and also it is widely available. The production, consumption, disposal of e-waste is unsustainable. Recycling of e-waste is a prolonged process. E-waste also contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases leading to global warming. There are many countries where e-waste poses a threat because the rate of recycling and collection is low. The quantity of e-waste must be monitored and targets must be set for achieving a sustainable society and an economy that is circular.
The importance of the proper management of e-waste is recognized. In the South Asian region, India is the only country with proper e-waste legislation since 2011. Other countries are considering it too. In India, only authorized recyclers and dismantlers can collect e-wastes. In India, there are more than 300 authorized recyclers which treating approximately 800 kt of e-waste yearly. Despite these, e-waste is still handled informally and the formal sector is yet to be utilized. Though India has proper e-waste legislation, enforcing rules is still a challenge. People must be educated and there must be an awareness campaign so that people know more about e-waste and its effects.
The following are the elements of e-waste:
Technology: Apart from households and businesses, e-waste is used mostly for security systems, transport systems, control of temperature etc. Also, we are so used to technology, in terms of gadgets, wearables etc. that we cannot think of our lives without it. Life has become much easier with technology, but it also has an adverse effect. Gradually as some section of society is aware of its adverse effect, the need for clean technology is increasing. Clean technology means making use of large battery and photovoltaic panels. Not to forget, that digitization is helping to lower products but the more people are adapting to digitization, e-waste quantities will be increasing in the years to come. In recent years, we have chosen micro electronics over the large ones. The lifespan of these are shortening as compared to the previous scenario. Electronics are considered to be waste when they cannot be repaired beyond a specific period.
Impacts: Electronics that are produced now uses lots of resources; hence, the effect on environment has shifted to the stages of production and extraction of materials. The mining of the critical resources used needs lot of effort. Hence, more energy, land, water are used and also other socio- economic issues are linked to the entire process of mining. Lots of toxic materials are used in the process of manufacturing. So trails of these toxins might be left, which can in turn lead to damage.
Management: Countries must establish proper e-waste management like many industrialized countries have already done. There are three steps of such management- collecting, pre-processing and end-processing of waste. Also, it is to be noted that not all e-waste can be economically recovered. The problem of e-waste is grave for the countries that are less industrialized.
Policies: Certain policies have come up to resolve the issue of e-waste.
Businesses: Production and consumption of e-waste are based on economic incentives. Global manufacturing and supply chains have given priority to minimize the cost of production and increasing more revenue. Evidently, this linear business is contributing to the issues of e-waste even more.
Users: Users like us are using electronics but we are not using it mindfully. We are also responsible for contributing to the issues of e-waste.
Effect of e-waste on earth:
E- waste affects the earth in many ways- from its impact on air, soil, water and us as humans. The effects of e-waste on earth can be described in the following ways:
Effect on Air: Air is contaminated when these wastes are disposed informally. While shredding or melting materials, toxins are released into the environment and which causes pollution of air. Air pollution causes damage to lungs, causing lung disease. Risk of cancer, chronic disease can also occur due to these wastes. Pollution can extend miles away from site of recycling. Plant and animal species also get affected due to air pollution caused by e-wastes. Burning of e-waste releases hydrocarbons and these hydrocarbons contribute to the greenhouse gas.
Effect on Soil: Improper disposal of e-waste in landfills causes contamination of crops, groundwater. When pollutants mix with soil, the life that sustains on life specially plants gets contaminated. These pollutants remain in the soil for extended periods, leading to long damaging effects.
Effect on Water: Water is affected when the heavy metals from the e-waste mix with soil and gradually reaches the groundwater. Pollutants gradually reach all water bodies, impacting all. Water becomes unsafe for drinking because of acidification and added toxins. Marine, freshwater organisms are killed due to acidification. This disturbs and harms ecosystem.
Effect on Humans: Pollutants have negative impact on human health. The nervous system and reproductive system are affected. The toxin has negative impact on liver, kidney, heart, brain, and damages the skeletal system.
So, we have seen that e-waste is harmful to the environment globally. To avoid the effects of e-waste it must be recycled, refurbished or reused. The growing amount of e-waste will become even more severe if any proper measures are not taken at the right time. Also, people must be educated about e-waste so that they can wisely use and discard electronics. We do not know the long term effects of e-waste as of now, but certainly, it contaminates air, water, soil and threatens human life.
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