Society and Environment
Electronic Waste Dilemma
Dr. Eisa M. Abdelllatif
Chief Technical Advisor at Zayed International Foundation for the Environment:
The 21st century is, by far, the century of electronics. We are fully dependent on electronic gadgets for communication, transport, construction, banking, and a host of government services. Apple alone is selling over 3 million mobile phones every week, and on average, consumers use a mobile for only 2 to 3 years as the cost of repairing a faulty device is higher than buying a new product. In addition, new software updates are incompatible with older models, and as the world upgrades to 5G, entire generations of cell phones will soon become obsolete. Hence, e-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream worldwide, reaching almost 60 million tons annually. This includes home appliances, screens & monitors, bulbs, copying & printing machines, vacuum cleaners, microwaves, electronic toys and tools, radios, cell phones, GPS’ and computers.
Recycling e-waste requires intensive sorting and handling and its disposal in developed countries is complicated by regulations. Most of the e-waste in Europe & the US are shipped to poor countries in Africa and Asia where it poses very serious health and environmental problems. E-waste contains hazardous materials like lead, beryllium, mercury, and cadmium, which can leach into the surrounding environment through landfills or when burnt to extract valuable materials like gold, silver, platinum, palladium and copper. Although these valuable metals can be extracted through proper recycling, less than 20% of e-waste is recycled annually. Researchers estimate that USD 57 billion worth of recoverable precious metals are dumped every year. Legislation and policies that ban the disposal of e-waste and encourage recycling by subsidizing the equipment and materials and protect the recycling labor and the surrounding environment must be prioritized. The WHO states that around 30 million women and children work in this sector, exposing themselves to more than 1,000 harmful substances. The extraction of valuable materials from e-waste is an important source of income in many poor countries. But e-waste chemicals can leach into waterways, acidifying rivers, poisoning wildlife and contaminating drinking water supplies. The EU has banned the export of e-waste and facilitates its recycling, but the US is yet to do so. The US has also not ratified the Basel Convention which bans the export of hazardous waste. E-waste is an economic resource that should not be dumped or exported to other countries. You can also help by buying less, repairing, reselling, recycling and advocating for better laws and policies.