E - WASTE A GLOBAL HAZARD
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E Waste & Recycling
1. INTRODUCTION
E-Waste broadly covers waste from all electronic and electrical appliances and comprises of items such as computers, mobile phones, digital music recorders/players, refrigerators, washing machines, televisions and many other household consumer items. Electronic waste is a name given to any piece of electronic equipment that is at the end of its useful life. Some of these products can be resold, refurbished, or dismantled to rescue resalable goods. Others, however, serve no “useful” purpose and are discarded.
E-Waste has
been categorized into three main categories, i.e., Large Household Appliances,
IT and Telecom and Consumer Equipment. Refrigerator and washing machine
represent large household appliances; PC, monitor and laptop represent IT and
Telecom, while TV represents Consumer Equipment. Each of these e-waste items
has been classified with respect to 26 common components found in them. These
components form the ‘building blocks’ of each item and therefore they are
readily ‘identifiable’ and ‘removable.’
2. PROBLEMS FACED
E-waste and environmental pollution is a global problem. The United Nations suggests that global e-waste is set to exceed 40 million tons per year. End of product life recycling is highly polluting, non-cost effective and unregulated in many countries. The burden of e-waste not only pollutes the land-fill it is having serious health implications due to chemical leaching into the water table, eventually making its way to agricultural produce and into people. E-waste pollution is causing severe health concerns for millions of people around the world, mostly in the developing nations of Africa, Europe and Asia. Approximately 23 percent of deaths in these nations are linked to pollution and other environmental impacts. With the usage of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) on the rise, the amount of electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) produced each day is equally growing enormously around the globe. Children are especially vulnerable to the health risks that may result from e-waste exposure and, therefore, need more specific protection. Many children are exposed to e-waste-derived chemicals in their daily life due to unsafe recycling activities that are often conducted at their home- either by family members or by the children themselves. Furthermore, children may be exposed through dump sites located close to their homes, schools and play areas.
3. AMOUNT OF ELECTRONIC WASTE WORLD-WIDE
Rapid changes in technology, changes in media (tapes, software, MP3), and falling prices have resulted in a fast-growing surplus of electronic waste around the globe. Display units (CRT, LCD, LED monitors), processors (CPU, GPU, or APU chips), memory (DRAM or SRAM), and audio components have different useful lives. Processors are most frequently out-dated and are more likely to become "e-waste", while display units are most often replaced while working without repair attempts, due to changes in wealthy nation appetites for new display technology. An estimated 50 million tons of E-waste are produced each year. The USA discards 30 million computers each year and 100 million phones are disposed of in Europe each year. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that only 15-20% of e-waste is recycled, the rest of these electronics go directly into landfills and incinerators. While having some of the world's most advanced high-tech software and hardware developing facilities, India's recycling sector can be called medieval. The dumping of e-waste, particularly computer waste, into India from developed countries has further complicated the problems with waste management. All this has made e-waste management an issue of environment and health concern.
4. LONG TERM EFFECTS ON HUMAN HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT
The degree of hazard posed to workers and the environment varies greatly depending on the individuals involved and the nature of operations. What is known is that the pollution generated by e-waste processing brings about toxic or genotoxic effects on the human body, threatening the health not only of workers but also of current residents and future generations living in the local environment. Health problems have been reported in the last few years, including diseases and problems related to the skin, stomach, respiratory tract and other organs. Workers suffer high incidences of birth defects, infant mortality, tuberculosis, blood diseases, anomalies in the immune system, malfunctioning of the kidneys and respiratory system, lung cancer, underdevelopment of the brain in children and damage to the nervous and blood systems. E-waste therefore constitutes a significant global environmental and health emergency, with implications far broader than occupational exposure and involving vulnerable groups and generations to come. EEEs are made of a multitude of components, some containing toxic substances that have an adverse impact on human health and the environment if not handled properly. Often, these hazards arise due to the improper recycling and disposal processes used. It can have serious repercussions for those in proximity to places where e-waste is recycled or burnt.
5. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THE E-WASTE ISSUE
The solution for the e-waste crisis lies in ‘prevention at the manufacturing source’ or the ‘precautionary principle.’ This can be done by employing waste minimization techniques and by a sustainable product design.
Implementation and Capacity Building
Awareness Building:
The current awareness regarding the existence and dangers of e-waste are extremely low, partly because the e-waste being generated is not as large as in developed countries. Urgent measures are required to address this issue.
The role of citizens in e-waste management includes:
- Donating electronics for reuse which extends the lives of valuable products and keeps them out of the waste management system for a long time.
- While buying electronic products, opting for those that are made with fewer toxic constituents, use recycled content, are energy efficient, are designed for easy upgrading or disassembly, use minimal packaging and offer leasing or take back options.
- Building of consumer awareness through public awareness campaigns is a crucial point that can attribute to a new responsible kind of consumerism.
Be Responsible For A Better Future Tomorrow
7. CONCLUSION
India is placed in a very interesting position. The need of the hour is an urgent approach to the e-waste hazard by technical and policy-level interventions, implementation and capacity building and increase in public awareness such that it can convert this challenge into an opportunity to show the world that India is ready to deal with future problems and can set global credible standards concerning environmental and occupational health.