e waste essay

News from the Columbia Climate School

What Can We Do About the Growing E-waste Problem?

When China banned 24 kinds of solid waste last September, countries such as the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan realized they had a big problem. Until last year, China accepted 70 percent of the world’s electronic waste—discarded computers, cell phones, printers, televisions, microwaves, smoke alarms, and other electronic equipment and parts. After China stopped accepting this e-waste out of concern for its environment, Europe and North America began shipping more of it to Southeast Asia—but now Vietnam and Thailand, whose ports have been overwhelmed, are curbing imported e-waste as well.

In 2016, the world’s population discarded 49 million tons of e-waste (equivalent to about 4,500 Eiffel Towers). It’s estimated that by 2021, that number will grow to more than 57 million tons.

Why the upsurge in e-waste?

Technology is becoming more and more integrated into every aspect of our lives. Semiconductors and sensors are being added to products that never before had them, creating wearable monitors, smart homes, TVs that can stream programming from the internet, and much more.

Meanwhile, the life span of devices is getting shorter—many products will be thrown away once their batteries die, to be replaced with new devices. Companies intentionally plan the obsolescence of their goods by updating the design or software and discontinuing support for older models, so that now it is usually cheaper and easier to buy a new product than to repair an old one. Meanwhile, the companies continue to profit from steady sales.

And because prices are dropping, electronic devices are in demand around the world as a growing middle class goes digital. Globally, half of all households now have internet access, and 7.7 billion people have cell phones.

What’s in e-waste?

Electronic devices are made of a complex mix of materials that include gold, silver, copper, platinum, palladium, lithium, cobalt and other valuable elements. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says, “One metric ton of circuit boards can contain 40 to 800 times the amount of gold and 30 to 40 times the amount of copper mined from one metric ton of ore in the United States.” These precious materials can be reclaimed through recycling .

But electronic devices also comprise toxic heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium, polluting PVC plastic, and hazardous chemicals, such as brominated flame retardants, which can harm human health and the environment.

In 2016, the estimated value of recoverable materials in global e-waste was $64.6 billion, but only 20 percent of it was properly recycled to enable recovery of the valuable materials. Much of the rest is dumped in landfills where toxic chemicals can leach from the e-waste and end up contaminating the water supply.

As more people buy electronic equipment, manufacturers are beginning to face shortages of the raw materials needed to make their products, so reclaiming and reusing the materials from discarded products and waste—a process called urban mining—makes economic and environmental sense. A recent study in China found that mining copper, gold and aluminum from ore costs 13 times more than recovering the metals through the urban mining of e-waste.

The state of e-waste recycling

Recycling e-waste is practiced both formally and informally.

Proper or formal e-waste recycling usually involves disassembling the electronics, separating and categorizing the contents by material and cleaning them.

Items are then shredded mechanically for further sorting with advanced separation technologies. Companies must adhere to health and safety rules and use pollution-control technologies that reduce the health and environmental hazards of handling e-waste. All this makes formal recycling expensive. As a result, many companies and countries illegally export their e-waste to developing countries where recycling is cheap.

The U.S., the second largest producer of e-waste after China, produced 10 million tons of e-waste in 2012, over 64 pounds per person. In 2012 (EPA data for more recent years are not yet available), only 29 percent of this was recycled—the rest is usually landfilled, incinerated or stuck in a closet. A study  done by the watchdog group Basel Action Network using trackers, however, found that 40 percent of the e-waste supposedly recycled in the U.S. was actually exported. Most of it ended up in developing countries—usually in Asia—where informal recycling is typically unlicensed and unregulated.

At these informal recycling workshops, men, women and children recover valuable materials by burning devices to melt away non-valuable materials, using mercury and acids to recover gold, and dismantling devices by hand to reclaim other materials of value.

Usually they do not wear protective equipment and lack any awareness that they are handling dangerous materials. Research has found that inhaling toxic chemicals and direct contact with hazardous e-waste materials (even in some formal e-waste recycling settings) result in increases in spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, premature births, reduced birth weights, mutations, congenital malformations, abnormal thyroid function, increased lead levels in blood, decreased lung function, and neurobehavioral disturbances. Moreover, e-waste toxins contaminate the air, soil and groundwater.

In the face of these health and environmental hazards, however, many people in developing countries earn a living by dismantling, refurbishing, repairing and reselling used electronic devices. Guiyu, China is often considered the e-waste capital of the world, with 75 percent of households involved in the recycling business. Informal recycling is also practiced in India, Nigeria, Ghana and the Philippines.

In addition to its health hazards, informal recycling can pose security risks, because while formal recyclers in the U.S. usually require wiping devices clean of data, informal recycling does not.

Criminals search e-waste for credit card numbers and other financial information. For example, government contracts and lucrative agreements with the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, the Transportation Security Administration and Homeland Security have been found on hard drives in Agbogbloshie, an e-waste center in Ghana.

Wealthy countries send about 23 percent of their e-waste to developing countries each year. This is ongoing despite the fact that the European Union and 186 states have ratified the Basel Convention , which works to minimize the transfer of hazardous waste from developed countries to developing countries. The U.S, the only developed country that has not ratified the Basel Convention, has agreements that allow it to ship hazardous waste to developing countries.

What U.S. laws govern e-waste?

There is no federal law in the U.S. that mandates the recycling of e-waste or forbids e-waste from being exported to developing countries. Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have their own electronic recycling laws, which vary in approach. Some states subcontract with companies to operate a statewide collection system; others require manufacturers to meet minimum recycling targets based on their sales.

The problem with a patchwork of laws is that no one state has enough market share to compel manufacturers to design greener or more durable products. By contrast, the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive represents the entire EU market and thus has the clout to set higher standards for all electronic products sold in the EU. Its laws requiring manufacturers to help pay for recycling have resulted in an e-waste recycling rate of 35 percent, higher than that of the U.S.

A federal law in the U.S. could help develop a more robust e-waste recycling infrastructure through setting targets and establishing financing schemes for collection systems and recycling plants. It could also offer a tax break or rebate to companies that process their used devices, and help prevent the export of e-waste to developing countries. However, a federal law is not likely to happen under this administration.

A problem requiring multiple solutions

With the flood of e-waste growing around the world, recycling alone will not be enough. Here are some other ideas and solutions that are being researched, considered or practiced around the world. Hopefully, they will inspire more adoption of best practices.

Designing better products

In order to reduce e-waste, manufacturers need to design electronics that are safer, and more durable, repairable and recyclable. Most importantly, this means using less toxic materials. Chemical engineers at Stanford University are developing the first fully biodegradable electronic circuit using natural dyes that dissolve in acid with a pH 100 times weaker than vinegar. One group of scientists is pulverizing e-waste into nanodust by cooling the various materials, then grinding them up into homogenous powders that are “easy to reuse.” Canada-based Ronin8  has developed a technology that uses minimal water and energy as it separates metals from non-metals through sonic vibrations in recycled water.

Today, it’s not a priority to design goods that can be reused or remanufactured, though for a few years, companies experimented with modular phones that enabled consumers to upgrade parts of their phones instead of having to entirely replace them. Google, LG and Motorola all released modular models, but they ultimately failed because they were clumsier and more costly, and because consumers expected their devices to come with every feature as standard. Perhaps as consumers become more aware of the e-waste problem, companies will be able to design a modular phone with more market appeal.

The right to repair

In addition to recycling, it’s also important to be able to repair and reuse the devices we have. But even if you know how to and want to repair your electronic device, you might be stymied because your product’s software is subject to copyright. The copyright often forbids consumers by law to tinker with or reverse-engineer the device or use an unauthorized repairer. Ifixit.org  demands the right to repair devices and teaches people how to do it.

Extended Producer Responsibility

Extended producer responsibility requires companies that make products to be responsible for the management and disposal of them at the end of their lives. The idea is to turn waste materials into a resource for producing new products. The New York State Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act  requires manufacturers to provide consumers with free and convenient e-waste recycling.

Hong Kong, a prime dumping ground for U.S. e-waste and a huge producer of e-waste itself, deals with 77,000 tons of e-waste yearly (80 percent of which is sent to Africa and Southeast Asia for recycling). It has just instituted a producer responsibility system that will require suppliers and sellers of electronic products to pay for the free removal, collection, handling and proper disposal of items.

More convenient recycling

EcoATM  provides a convenient and safe way to recycle and sell old cell phones, MP3 players and tablets. Consumers can bring their devices to one of 2,700 kiosks in the U.S. The EcoATM will evaluate it based on the model and condition, and pay you right there. The items are then either reused or responsibly recycled.

China’s largest internet company, Baidu, and the United Nations Development Programme developed a smartphone app called Baidu Recycle . Chinese users can indicate the item they want to recycle, enter its size, the date it’s to be picked up along with their name and address, then submit a photo of it. Within 24 hours, an accredited recycler comes to pick it up. In two months, 11,000 devices were recycled.

Better recycling

Nickolas Themelis, professor emeritus of earth and environmental engineering and director of the Earth Engineering Center at Columbia University, said that the best and only economical large-scale recycling being done in North America today uses a copper smelter in Canada. He explained that when e-waste is fed into the copper smelter, precious metals like silver, gold, platinum, palladium, selenium, and others dissolve in molten copper, which acts like a solvent at high temperatures. The impure copper (because it comprises other metals) that results is then sent to a refinery where pure copper is separated out and the other valuable metals can be collected. This integrated smelting process combined with refining, though it recovers only metals that dissolve in copper, is a relatively inexpensive method of reclaiming e-waste metals. The smelter , in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, receives about 50,000 tons of e-waste each year. “The model of Noranda with a small [e-waste] collection company in the U.S. and a larger one in Canada and a big smelter, could be done in other countries,” said Themelis. “It could be done in China which already has copper smelters, as well as in America.”

To reduce health and environmental hazards while maintaining the informal recycling system that supports so many people, India and China are looking at ways to integrate the informal and formal recycling systems. One strategy would give informal recyclers financial incentives to divert e-waste to formal collection or recycling centers. For example, they could be paid more to deliver cathode ray tube screens to a formal collection center than they would get for dismantling it by hand themselves.

The goal of a circular economy

  A circular economy is one that aims to keep products and all their materials in circulation at their highest value at all times or for as long as possible. Stephanie Kersten-Johnston, an adjunct professor in the Sustainability Management program at Columbia University and director of sustainable business at Heineken USA, explained that “highest value” means what’s closest to the original product, in order to get the most out of the embedded value in the material and the labor that went into creating the product. Europe has made the circular economy a goal for the whole continent.

Using the example of cell phones, Kersten-Johnston explained how the electronics industry could move towards a circular economy. “Right now, over the length of the contract, you gradually buy outright the phone so the provider can recoup the cost of manufacturing that phone in the first place,” she said. “But at the end of the contract, you’re left with a phone that’s worth basically nothing, that you’ve had to pay for all that time and you can’t do anything with it. That’s a flawed model. But imagine a system where the provider or manufacturer retained ownership of the device through the contract so customers would pay a lower monthly fee and be expected to return the device for an upgrade. The value could be recaptured in the form of parts for remanufacture or materials for recycling, and customers would still get their upgrades.”

Kersten-Johnston believes it’s only a matter of time before this type of business model happens across the board because millennials and the younger generation don’t value ownership in the same way as previous generations, and they expect this type of responsible behavior from industry.

What you can do about e-waste

The best thing you can do is to resist buying a new device until you really need it. Try to get your old product repaired if possible and if it can’t be fixed, resell or recycle it responsibly.

Before you recycle your device, seal up any broken parts in separate containers so that hazardous chemicals don’t leak. Wear latex gloves and a mask if you’re handling something that’s broken.

Find a responsible recycler. Recyclers with the E-Steward label on their websites have been certified to meet the cleanest and most responsible standards for e-waste recycling. E-Steward recyclers also clear your data in their recycling process.

  60 Minutes: The Wasteland (e-waste in China)

Find places to recycle near you through Consumer Resources, Recycle Electronics 

All about e-waste in New York City

New York State e-waste collection sites

Best Buy and Staples recycle e-waste, as do Goodwill  and the Salvation Army .

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Visit http://www.cleantogreen.in

Growing e-waste problem is a paramount concern and most of the people are not aware of how they can contribute to reduce this problem. Your blog gives comprehensive details on what people can do to handle the e-waste growing issue. More and more readers can become familiar with the e-waste, its upsurge, the state of e-waste recycling and what they can do. Extremely informative blog.

it has become important, these days to rationalise electronic waste management systems for the environment to be preserved and health hazards to take a slump.

If you are 15 years old, emissions rose 30% in your lifetime.

If you are 30 years old, emissions rose 60% in your lifetime.

In the next 10 years, emissions will rise 10% at least.

After 30 years of trying, solar and wind are 2% of total world energy use.

To avoid 2 C, emissions must drop 50% in 10 years, and 100% in 20 years.

5 of 13 major tipping points are triggered like dominos below 2 C.

When these 5 tipping points begin, they reinforce each other and trigger the other 8.

Runaway hothouse earth cannot be stopped or reversed once started.

The earth will take many, many thousands of years to recover.

Runaway mass extinction cannot be stopped or reversed once started.

The earth will take many millions of years to recover.

Nobody wants to admit it.

There are 25 billion chickens on earth.

Humans and livestock are 98% of all land vertebrate biomass.

10,000 years ago, humans and livestock were 0.03% of all land vertebrate biomass.

All male vertebrates are being biologically emasculated, feminized, sterilized, stupified and crazyfied.

If you want tons of data on how and why, go to Loki’s Revenge Blog and read: The Withering Bones of Humanity

I think collaboration between the governments of developed and developing countries can help humanity get rid of e-waste. Researchers should also try their best to develop ways to significantly or completely reduce the inclusion of toxic materials in electronic devices.

Here is another possible resource that could be of use to you.

1-800-GOT-JUNK? offers an FAQ page on how to dispose of electronic waste. The resource goes over how to recycle electronics, the importance of properly disposing of electronic waste, and other need-to-know information before throwing away electronics.

Below is the URL to 1-800-GOT-JUNK?’s Electronic Waste FAQ page: https://www.1800gotjunk.com/us_en/what-we-take/electronics-recycling

I hope this helps!

I have some questions about e-waste if anybody could respond that would be great! It is for a school project and I want to learn more about it!

Is this Zachariah Chase? This is Adhwaith man!

Can anybody answer some questions about e-waste

What are your questions?

Here, in Turkey also this is a big problem. Municipalities are top collectors but it’s not still on a good path. EcoATM seems a good action on that.

A majority of nations across the globe have regulated electronic scrap generation and their treatment procedures. For instance, the European Union (EU) has authorized all electronic goods manufacturers to undertake the responsibility for the treatment of end-of-life products. http://bit.ly/2QAM9l8

yes, you are right. e-waste is a huge problem for an environment and also for humans. We have to be aware of that. Thanks for sharing important knowledge to everyone.

Hi! I’m living in South Africa Enquirer for knowledge and tips on how to start e waste In my country.i resides in rural areas where we are not exposed to e waste,we end up throwing away recycleble items

This is a very good article, however, in Nigeria where i reside, not only is the awareness about the dangers of e-wastes low, there is also no known e-wastes recycling plant in the country, so you can imagine the situation of things here. As a PHD student with interest in this area, i’ll like to know what steps to take beyond writing. Thanks

Market competition makes a difference on how these gadgets have been made and sold in the market. Also, the needed infrastructure, working capital, and most importantly the skills required to recycle electronic gadgets are scarce in developing countries. Nonetheless, avenues for proper disposal of these wastes is non-negotiable. At Trashvocacy here is what we do at Trashvocacy https://www.trashvocacy.com/

It’s good to know that E-products need to be recycled responsibly in the event that they can’t be repaired. My husband and want to start cleaning out some of the junk in our garage, including an old desktop computer that’s too far gone to be fixed. I’m glad I read your article so I can do the responsible thing and look for a computer recycling service in our area to give it to.

Mabey to help this we can remake new stuff with these things like to make it again.

Goodday, I would like to know if I can make use of any of the photos for research article in my upcoming book chapter.

Hi Matthew, we do not own the images in this post — you’d have to reach out to the original creators, which are linked in the image captions. Best of luck with your book chapter!

The best option is to recycle those. Most of the e-waste has plastic, steel, copper, silver, and other metals that be reused.

If the device is “Made in China” it should GO BACK TO CHINA when it’s useful life is over! If China is not accepting e-waste back because they are concerned about their environment, maybe they should make things better quality so it lasts longer!

Too many products are failing prematurely because of profit hungry corporations not wanting to be responsible by making sure quality manufacturing which would greatly minimize what gets abandoned before it’s necessary!

Short life-cycles and premature failures can be addressed.

Reycling is great!

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E Waste Management Essay for Students | Electronic Waste

E Waste Management Essay: Get short and long essay on e waste (Electronic Waste) management in 500, 300, 250, 200, and 150 words for all standards.

In this digital age, electronic devices have become an integral part of our lives. From smartphones and laptops to televisions and refrigerators, these devices have revolutionized the way we communicate, work, and entertain ourselves. However, with the constant advancements in technology, electronic waste, or e-waste, has become a pressing issue. This essay aims to shed light on the importance of e-waste management and provide a comprehensive guide to responsible electronic waste disposal.

Table of Contents

E Waste Management Essay

Electronic waste, commonly referred to as e-waste, encompasses discarded electronic devices that have reached the end of their useful life. These devices include smartphones, computers, printers, televisions, refrigerators, and other household appliances. E-waste poses significant environmental and health hazards due to the presence of hazardous materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants.

The Rising Tide of E-Waste

With the rapid advancement of technology and the short lifespan of electronic devices, the generation of e-waste has reached alarming levels. According to the United Nations Global E-Waste Monitor, approximately 53.6 million metric tons of e-waste were generated globally in 2019. This figure is expected to increase to 74.7 million metric tons by 2030 if effective e-waste management practices are not adopted.

The Importance of E-Waste Management

Protecting the environment.

Proper e-waste management plays a crucial role in protecting the environment from the adverse effects of electronic waste. When e-waste is improperly disposed of, hazardous materials can contaminate soil, water sources, and the air we breathe. This contamination poses a threat to ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. By adopting responsible e-waste management practices, we can mitigate these risks and safeguard our planet.

Conservation of Resources

Electronic devices contain valuable resources such as precious metals, rare earth elements, and other recyclable materials. By recycling e-waste, we can recover these resources and reduce the need for extensive mining and manufacturing processes. This not only conserves natural resources but also reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with resource extraction.

Preventing Health Risks

Improper handling and disposal of e-waste can have severe health implications for both humans and the environment. The hazardous substances present in electronic devices, if not managed properly, can leach into the soil and water, contaminating food sources and posing a risk to human health. Furthermore, informal e-waste recycling practices, often prevalent in developing countries, expose workers to harmful toxins, leading to serious health conditions. Effective e-waste management is crucial for preventing these health risks.

Responsible E-Waste Disposal: Best Practices

1. reduce and reuse.

The first step in responsible e-waste management is to minimize the generation of electronic waste. Before discarding an electronic device, consider if it can be repaired or repurposed. Additionally, opt for durable and upgradable products that have a longer lifespan, reducing the need for frequent replacements.

2. Recycling Programs and Collection Centers

Many countries and municipalities have established e-waste recycling programs and collection centers to facilitate proper disposal of electronic devices. These programs ensure that e-waste is handled and processed by trained professionals, minimizing the environmental and health risks associated with improper disposal. Research local recycling options and make use of these resources to dispose of your e-waste responsibly.

3. Certified E-Waste Recyclers

When choosing a recycling service or vendor, ensure they are certified e-waste recyclers. Look for certifications such as Responsible Recycling (R2) and e-Stewards, which guarantee that the recycling process meets stringent environmental and ethical standards. Certified recyclers employ safe methods to extract valuable materials from e-waste while responsibly disposing of hazardous substances.

4. Data Security

Before disposing of electronic devices, it is essential to ensure the secure removal of any sensitive or personal data. Perform a factory reset or use data erasure software to wipe the device clean. If the device is beyond repair, consider physically destroying the storage media to prevent unauthorized access to your personal information.

5. Donations and Buyback Programs

Consider donating your old but functional electronic devices to charitable organizations, schools, or community centers. Many organizations run donation programs to refurbish and redistribute electronics to those in need. Additionally, some manufacturers offer buyback programs, allowing you to exchange your old device for a discount on a new purchase.

Proper e-waste management is essential to mitigate the environmental and health risks associated with electronic waste. By reducing, reusing, and recycling e-waste, we can protect the environment, conserve resources, and prevent health hazards. It is our collective responsibility to embrace responsible e-waste disposal practices and work towards a sustainable future.

Long E Waste Management Essay in 500 Words

Electronic waste, commonly known as e-waste, refers to discarded electronic devices that have reached the end of their useful life. With the constant advancements in technology and the growing consumer demand for new gadgets, the generation of e-waste has become a pressing global issue. It is crucial to understand the importance of responsible e-waste management to protect the environment, conserve resources, and prevent health hazards.

E-waste contains hazardous substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants. Improper disposal of e-waste can lead to environmental pollution, soil and water contamination, and the release of toxic gases into the atmosphere . These pollutants pose a significant threat to ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. Therefore, it is essential to adopt responsible e-waste disposal practices.

One of the key reasons to manage e-waste responsibly is to protect the environment. By recycling electronic devices, we can minimize the extraction of raw materials and reduce the energy consumption associated with manufacturing new products. Recycling e-waste allows for the recovery of valuable resources like precious metals and rare earth elements, which can be reused in various industries. This conserves natural resources and reduces the carbon footprint associated with mining and manufacturing processes.

Furthermore, responsible e-waste management plays a vital role in preventing health risks. The hazardous substances present in electronic devices can leach into the soil and water, contaminating food sources and posing a threat to human health. In addition, informal e-waste recycling practices, often prevalent in developing countries, expose workers to harmful toxins, leading to severe health conditions. By implementing proper e-waste management measures, we can protect both the environment and human well-being.

To ensure responsible e-waste disposal, several practices should be followed. Firstly, it is essential to reduce and reuse electronic devices whenever possible. Repairing or repurposing old devices can extend their lifespan and reduce the need for frequent replacements. Choosing durable and upgradable products can also contribute to minimizing e-waste generation.

When it comes to disposing of electronic devices, recycling programs and collection centers play a crucial role. Many countries and municipalities have established these programs to facilitate the proper handling and processing of e-waste. These programs ensure that e-waste is managed by trained professionals, reducing the environmental and health risks associated with improper disposal. Researching local recycling options and utilizing these resources can help in responsible e-waste disposal.

Certified e-waste recyclers should be preferred when choosing recycling services. Look for certifications such as Responsible Recycling (R2) and e-Stewards, which ensure that the recycling process meets stringent environmental and ethical standards. Certified recyclers employ safe methods to extract valuable materials from e-waste while responsibly disposing of hazardous substances.

Data security is another important aspect to consider during e-waste disposal. Before getting rid of electronic devices, it is crucial to ensure the secure removal of any sensitive or personal data. Performing a factory reset or using data erasure software can help wipe the device clean. If the device is beyond repair, physically destroying the storage media can prevent unauthorized access to personal information.

In conclusion, responsible e-waste management is of utmost importance in today’s digital era. By adopting sustainable practices such as reducing, reusing, and recycling e-waste, we can protect the environment, conserve resources, and prevent health hazards. It is our collective responsibility to prioritize responsible e-waste disposal and work towards creating a sustainable future.

E Waste Management in India Essay in 250 / 300 Words

The exponential growth of electronic devices in recent years has led to a significant increase in electronic waste (e-waste). Effective e-waste management is vital to address the environmental and health risks associated with improper disposal.

E-waste, consisting of discarded electronic devices such as smartphones, computers, and televisions, has become a global concern. With the rapid pace of technological advancement, the average lifespan of electronic devices has significantly decreased, resulting in a growing accumulation of e-waste. The improper handling and disposal of e-waste pose severe environmental and health hazards.

Firstly, e-waste contains hazardous materials, including lead, mercury, and cadmium, which can contaminate soil and water sources when not properly managed. These toxic substances pose risks to human health, causing respiratory problems, neurological disorders, and even cancer. Effective e-waste management, including proper recycling and disposal methods, is crucial to minimize these health risks and prevent the release of hazardous substances into the environment.

Secondly, e-waste contains valuable resources that can be recovered through recycling. Precious metals like gold, silver, and palladium, as well as rare earth metals, can be extracted from electronic devices and reused in the production of new products. Implementing efficient recycling systems not only reduces the demand for extracting virgin resources but also conserves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with mining and manufacturing processes.

In conclusion, e-waste management plays a critical role in ensuring a sustainable future. By implementing proper recycling and disposal practices, we can protect the environment, safeguard human health, and promote the efficient use of resources. It is essential for individuals, businesses, and governments to collaborate and prioritize responsible e-waste management practices.

Essay on E Waste Management in India in 150 Words

The rise of electronic devices has led to a surge in electronic waste (e-waste) worldwide. Proper management of e-waste is crucial to mitigate its environmental and health impacts.

E-waste, comprising discarded electronic devices like smartphones and computers, poses significant challenges. Improper disposal can result in hazardous substances contaminating the environment and endangering human health. To address this issue, effective e-waste management is essential. It involves responsible recycling, safe disposal, and resource recovery.

Proper e-waste management offers several benefits. Firstly, it reduces environmental pollution by preventing toxic substances from leaching into soil and water sources. Secondly, it promotes the recovery of valuable resources, including precious and rare earth metals, reducing the need for resource extraction. Additionally, it minimizes energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with mining and manufacturing processes.

In conclusion, proper e-waste management is crucial for a sustainable future. By implementing responsible practices, we can protect the environment, preserve resources, and safeguard human health from the adverse impacts of e-waste.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. what are the environmental impacts of improper e-waste disposal.

Answer: Improper e-waste disposal leads to environmental pollution, soil and water contamination, and the release of hazardous substances into the atmosphere. These impacts can harm ecosystems, wildlife, and human health.

2. Can e-waste be recycled?

Answer: Yes, e-waste can be recycled. Recycling e-waste helps recover valuable resources and reduces the need for resource extraction. It also minimizes the environmental impact of improper disposal.

3. How can I find e-waste recycling programs in my area?

Answer: You can contact your local municipal authorities or waste management agencies to inquire about e-waste recycling programs in your area. They can provide information on designated collection centers and recycling facilities.

4. What should I do with my old electronic devices that are still functional?

Answer: If your old electronic devices are still functional, consider donating them to charitable organizations, schools, or community centers. This allows others to benefit from the devices and reduces e-waste generation.

5. Are there any risks to my personal data when recycling electronic devices?

Answer: Yes, there is a risk of unauthorized access to your personal data if not properly disposed of. Before recycling electronic devices, ensure secure data removal by performing a factory reset or using data erasure software.

6. How can I ensure responsible e-waste recycling?

Answer: To ensure responsible e-waste recycling, choose certified e-waste recyclers who adhere to environmental and ethical standards. Look for certifications such as Responsible Recycling (R2) and e-Stewards.

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Planning Argument Writing: E-Waste (Part 1 of 4)

Learn how to create an outline to help you prepare to write an essay. You will read an informational text about technotrash, also called electronic waste or e-waste. Then, you will work on creating an outline that could help you write an argumentative essay about this topic. The outline will include a claim/thesis statement, main ideas, reasons, evidence, counterclaims, and rebuttals.  

This interactive tutorial is part 1 in a 4-part series about writing an argumentative essay. Click below to open the other tutorials in the series.

Part 1 - Planning Argument Writing: E-Waste

Part 2 - Introductions in Argument Writing: E-Waste  

Part 3 - Body Paragraphs in Argument Writing: E-Waste

Part 4 - Conclusions in Argument Writing: E-Waste

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Global e-Waste Monitor 2024: Electronic Waste Rising Five Times Faster than Documented E-waste Recycling

• A record 62 million tonnes (Mt) of e-waste was produced in 2022, Up 82% from 2010;
• On track to rise another 32%, to 82 million tonnes, in 2030;
• Billions of dollars worth of strategically-valuable resources squandered, dumped;
• Just 1% of rare earth element demand is met by e-waste recycling .

Contacts: Ruediger Kuehr, SCYCLE, UNITAR, +49 228 815 0213/4, [email protected] David Hirsch, ITU, +41 22 730 5092; [email protected] Terry Collins, +1 416 878 8712; [email protected] The full Global E-waste Monitor report is available at: www.globalewaste.org

20 March 2024, Geneva / Bonn - The world’s generation of electronic waste is rising five times faster than documented e-waste recycling, the UN’s fourth Global E-waste Monitor (GEM) reveals today. The 62 million tonnes of e-waste generated in 2022 would fill 1.55 million 40-tonne trucks, roughly enough trucks to form a bumper-tobumper line encircling the equator, according to the report from ITU and UNITAR.

Meanwhile, less than one quarter (22.3%) of the year’s e-waste mass was documented as having been properly collected and recycled in 2022, leaving US $62 billion worth of recoverable natural resources unaccounted for and increasing pollution risks to communities worldwide. Worldwide, the annual generation of e-waste is rising by 2.6 million tonnes annually, on track to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030, a further 33% increase from the 2022 figure. E-waste, any discarded product with a plug or battery, is a health and environmental hazard, containing toxic additives or hazardous substances such as mercury, which can damage the human brain and coordination system.

The report foresees a drop in the documented collection and recycling rate from 22.3% in 2022 to 20% by 2030 due to the widening difference in recycling efforts relative to the staggering growth of e-waste generation worldwide. Challenges contributing to the widening gap include technological progress, higher consumption, limited repair options, shorter product life cycles, society’s growing electronification, design shortcomings, and inadequate e-waste management infrastructure.

The report underlines that if countries could bring the e-waste collection and recycling rates to 60% by 2030, the benefits - including through minimizing human health risks - would exceed costs by more than US $38 billion. It also notes that the world “remains stunningly dependent” on a few countries for rare earth elements, despite their unique properties crucial for future technologies, including renewable energy generation and e-mobility.

Selected report infographics

Amidst the hopeful embrace of solar panels and electronic equipment to combat the climate crisis and drive digital progress, the surge in e-waste requires urgent attention.  Nikhil Seth , Executive Director, UNITAR

From discarded televisions to dumped telephones, an enormous amount of ewaste is generated around the world. The latest research shows that the global challenge posed by e-waste is only going to grow. With less than half of the world implementing and enforcing approaches to manage the problem, this raises the alarm for sound regulations to boost collection and recycling. The Global E-waste Monitor is the world’s foremost source for e-waste data allowing us to track progress overtime and to make critical decisions when it comes to transitioning to a circular economy for electronics. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava , Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

No more than 1% of demand for essential rare earth elements is met by e-waste recycling. Simply put: Business as usual can’t continue. This new report represents an immediate call for greater investment in infrastructure development, more promotion of repair and reuse, capacity building, and measures to stop illegal e-waste shipments. And the investment would pay for itself in spades.  Kees Baldé , lead author, UNITAR

Many in today’s society use multiple computers and phones, an ever-growing number of new appliances, monitors and sensors, e-bikes, e-scooters, clothes, toys, and furniture with embedded electronics, electric tools, and energy-saving equipment such as LEDs, photovoltaics, and heat pumps. Urban and remote areas are increasingly connected to the Internet, and a growing number of data centers cater to the needs of the digital transformation. In the face of all this, concrete steps are urgently needed to address and reduce e-waste. Improved ewaste management could result in a global net positive of US $38 billion, representing a significant economic opportunity while addressing climate change and health impacts.  Ruediger Kuehr , Senior Manager, Sustainable Cycles (SCYCLE), Programme, UNITAR / Adjunct Professor, University of Limerick (Ireland)

The Global E-waste Monitor shows that we are currently wasting US $91 billion in valuable metals due to insufficient e-waste recycling. We must seize the economic and environmental benefits of proper e-waste  management; otherwise, the digital ambitions of our future generations will face significant risks.  Vanessa Gray, Head, Environment & Emergency Telecommunications Division, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

By the numbers

• 62 million tonnes: e-waste generated in 2022, equal to the weight of 107,000 of world’s largest (853-seat), heaviest (575 tonne) passenger aircraft – enough to form an unbroken queue from New York to Athens, from Nairobi to Hanoi, or from Hong Kong to Anchorage
• 14 million tonnes (22.3%): estimated mass of e-waste trashed, mostly landfilled, in 2022
• 31 million tonnes: estimated weight of metals embedded in e-waste in 2022, along with 17 million tonnes of plastics and 14 million tonnes of other materials (minerals, glass, composite materials, etc.)
• US $91 billion: The value of metals embedded in 2022 e-waste, including
• US $19 billion in copper, US $15 billion in gold, and US $16 billion in iron.
• US $28 billion: value of secondary raw materials (mostly iron) reclaimed by “urban mining” of e-waste in 2022
• 900 million tonnes: Primary ore extraction avoided by reclaiming materials through documented e-waste recycling
• 93 million tonnes: CO2-equivalent emissions avoided by formal e-waste management – recaptured refrigerants (41 million tonnes), avoided metals mining (52 million tonnes) 

Recycling rates

• 42.8%: Formally documented collection and recycling rates in Europe 
• <1%: Formally recycled e-waste in African countries
• ~50% (30 million tonnes): E-waste generated by Asian countries (of which relatively few have enacted legislation or established clear e-waste collection targets)
• 17.6 kg: Per capita e-waste generation in Europe, followed by Oceania (16.1 kg) and the Americas (14.1 kg). These regions also have the highest documented per capita collection and recycling rates (7.5 kg in Europe, 6.7 kg in Oceania and 4.2 kg in the Americas)
• 16 million tonnes: e-waste collected and recycled outside of formal systems in high- and upper-middle income countries that have developed e-waste management infrastructure.
• 18 million tonnes: e-waste managed mostly by the informal sector in low and lower-middle income countries with no e-waste management infrastructure. Any material values recovered by the informal sector are largely (perhaps more than) offset by extremely high health and environmental costs
• 5.1 million tonnes (8.2% of the global total): e-waste shipped across borders in 2022, of which ~3.3 million tonnes (65%) was shipped from high-income to middle- and low-income countries through uncontrolled, undocumented

E-waste by category, selected examples

• 33% (20.4 million tonnes): Proportion of e-waste made up of small devices (e.g. toys, microwave ovens, vacuum cleaners, e-cigarettes), of which 12% are recycled
• 4.6 million tonnes: e-waste in the small IT and telecommunication equipment category (e.g. laptops, mobile phones, GPS devices, routers), with only 22% documented collection and recycling rate
• 2.4 million tonnes: Expected mass of retired photovoltaic panels in 2030, four times as much as the 600,000 tonnes in 2022

Among the report’s many observations

• Typically, collection and recycling rates are highest for heavier and bulkier equipment categories, such as large devices, temperature exchange equipment, screens and monitors
• 81 countries had e-waste legislation in 2023, up from 78 in 2019. Of the 81 countries, 67 had a legal instrument governing e-waste management with provisions promoting extended producer responsibility (EPR)
• The enforcement of e-waste policy, legislation, and regulation “remains a genuine challenge globally, and the stagnation of the global e-waste collection and recycling rate is likely exacerbated by the fact that only 46 countries have collection rate targets and only 36 have recycling rate targets.”

The Global E-waste Monitor

Since 2014, the Global E-waste Monitor ( www.globalewaste.org ) has been the world’s foremost source of up-to-date data and reporting on progress in policy, regulation, and offering projections. The 2024 edition is a collaborative product of the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership with support from the Fondation Carmignac.

Earlier global and regional reports: https://ewastemonitor.info

Join the conversation on social media using hashtag #eWaste

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)

As a dedicated training arm of the United Nations System, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) provides innovative learning solutions to individuals, organizations and institutions to enhance global decision-making and support country-level action for shaping a better future. UNITAR was created in 1963 to train and equip young diplomats from newly independent UN Member States with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate through the diplomatic environment. Over the years, UNITAR has acquired unique expertise and experience in designing and delivering a variety of training and learning activities, benefiting learners mainly from developing countries. With the strategy fully aligned with the 2030 Agenda, we support Governments and other stakeholders to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. 

The Bonn, Germany-based Sustainable Cycles (SCYCLE) Programme, hosted by UNITAR, provides world-class research and action on e-waste. SCYCLE aims to enable societies to reduce the environmental burden caused by the production, consumption and disposal of ubiquitous goods.

The International Telecommunication Union

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), driving innovation in ICTs together with 193 Member States and a membership of over 1,000 companies, universities, and international and regional organizations. Established in 1865, it is the intergovernmental body responsible for coordinating the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoting international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, improving communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishing the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems. From broadband networks to cutting-edge wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, oceanographic and satellite-based earth monitoring as well as converging fixed-mobile phone, Internet and broadcasting technologies, ITU is committed to connecting the world.

Fondation Carmignac

fondationcarmignac.com

Fondation Carmignac was founded in 2000 by Edouard Carmignac, a French entrepreneur, CEO and Chairman of asset management company Carmignac. Today, it is structured around three main pillars: the Carmignac Photojournalism Award, which annually funds the production of investigative photo reportage on human rights violations and geo-strategic issues, the Carmignac Collection, which has over 300 works of contemporary art, and Villa Carmignac, an art venue offering annual exhibitions and a rich cultural programme in a 2000-square-meter gallery set in a 15-hectare estate at the heart of a protected site on Porquerolles island.

Fondation Carmignac contributes to the Global E-waste Monitor photographs by laureates of the 13th edition of the Carmignac Photojournalism Award. Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas and photojournalists Muntaka Chasant and Bénédicte Kurzen explore the complexities of e-waste trafficking from European ports to Ghana scrapyards, revealing its complex, globalized cycle and highlighting the opportunities and environmental impact of the e-waste economy.

photo / video contributions from Fondation Carmignac

a free public exhibition of Carmignac Photojournalism Award images

In partnership with the City of Paris, a free public exhibition of Carmignac Photojournalism Award images will take place 16 May to 16 June, 2024: Port de Solférino, Quai Anatole, France (opposite the Musée d'Orsay)

According to the 2024 Global Environmental Monitor:

“As a result of improvements in enforcement and regional collaboration, progress has been reported in the control of illegal shipments of e-waste in West Africa. However, in January 2023, an organized crime group was caught smuggling over 5 million kg (331 containers) of e-waste from the Canary Islands to Ghana, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Senegal. Furthermore, in 2020, the Spanish authorities intercepted a network responsible for shipping 2.5 billion kg of material to several countries in Africa, including 750,000 kg of falsely certified e-waste. Even though the import of e-waste into Africa is being monitored, it is notoriously difficult to control." “Three of Africa’s most active ports—Durban (South Africa), Bizerte (Tunisia), and Lagos (Nigeria)—have all been identified as major ports of entry for used EEE, suggesting that e-waste shipments continue to circumvent the Basel and Bamako Conventions. A study in Ireland that used the StEP Initiative person-in-the-port methodology found that roll-on/roll-off vehicles, rather than containers, were the main carriers of used EEE from Ireland to West Africa. The study, which involved vehicle and enforcement document inspections at Ringaskiddy port in Ireland, scaled sampling data to annual shipment figures and estimated that 17,319 kg of used EEE were exported from Ireland annually, and around 1 in 5 vehicles exported contained used EEE. In response to findings like these, countries in West Africa are taking steps to introduce better monitoring of used EEE and e-waste imports by strictly enforcing existing guidelines and conducting thorough physical inspections of import shipments.”

Informal e-waste recycling, Ghana, 2023 © Muntaka Chasant / Fondation Carmignac.

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The World’s E-Waste Has Reached a Crisis Point

The phone or computer you’re reading this on may not be long for this world. Maybe you’ll drop it in water, or your dog will make a chew toy of it, or it’ll reach obsolescence. If you can’t repair it and have to discard it, the device will become e-waste , joining an alarmingly large mountain of defunct TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, cameras, routers, electric toothbrushes, headphones. This is “electrical and electronic equipment,” aka EEE—anything with a plug or battery. It’s increasingly out of control.

As economies develop and the consumerist lifestyle spreads around the world, e-waste has turned into a full-blown environmental crisis. People living in high-income countries own, on average, 109 EEE devices per capita, while those in low-income nations have just four. A new UN report finds that in 2022, humanity churned out 137 billion pounds of e-waste—more than 17 pounds for every person on Earth—and recycled less than a quarter of it.

That also represents about $62 billion worth of recoverable materials, like iron, copper, and gold, hitting e-waste landfills each year. At this pace, e-waste will grow by 33 percent by 2030, while the recycling rate could decline to 20 percent. (You can see this growth in the graph below: purple is EEE on the market, black is e-waste, and green is what gets recycled.)

“What was really alarming to me is that the speed at which this is growing is much quicker than the speed that e-waste is properly collected and recycled,” says Kees Baldé, a senior scientific specialist at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research and lead author of the report. “We just consume way too much, and we dispose of things way too quickly. We buy things we may not even need, because it's just very cheap. And also these products are not designed to be repaired.”

Humanity has to quickly bump up those recycling rates, the report stresses. In the first pie chart below, you can see the significant amount of metals we could be saving, mostly iron (chemical symbol Fe, in light gray), along with aluminum (Al, in dark gray), copper (Cu), and nickel (Ni). Other EEE metals include zinc, tin, and antimony. Overall, the report found that in 2022, generated e-waste contained 68 billion pounds of metal.

Adrienne So

E-waste is a complex thing to break down: A washing machine is made of totally different components than a TV. And even for product categories, not only do different brands use different manufacturing processes, but even different models within those brands vary significantly. A new washing machine has way more sensors and other electronics than one built 30 years ago.

Complicating matters even further, e-waste can contain hazardous materials, like cobalt, flame retardants, and lead. The report found that each year, improperly processed e-waste releases more than 125,000 pounds of mercury alone, imperiling the health of humans and other animals. “Electronic waste is an extremely complex waste stream,” says Vanessa Gray, head of the Environment and Emergency Telecommunications Division at the UN’s International Telecommunication Union and an author of the report. “You have a lot of value in electronic waste, but you also have a lot of toxic materials that are dangerous to the environment.”

That makes recycling e-waste a dangerous occupation. In low- and middle-income countries, informal e-waste recyclers might go door-to-door collecting the stuff. To extract valuable metals, they melt down components without proper safety equipment, poisoning themselves and the environment. The new report notes that in total, 7.3 billion pounds of e-waste is shipped uncontrolled globally, meaning its ultimate management is unknown and likely not done in an environmentally friendly way. Of that, high-income countries shipped 1.8 billion pounds to low- and middle-income countries in 2022, swamping them with dangerous materials.

High-income countries have some of this informal recycling, but they also have formal facilities where e-waste is sorted and safely broken down. Europe, for example, has fairly high formal e-waste recycling rates, at about 43 percent. But globally, recycling is happening nowhere near enough to keep up with the year-over-year growth of the waste. Instead of properly mining EEE for metals, humanity keeps mining more ore out of the ground.

Still, the report found that even the small amount of e-waste that currently gets recycled avoided the mining of 2 trillion pounds of ore for virgin metal in 2022. (It takes a lot of ore to produce a little bit of metal.) The more metals we can recycle from e-waste, the less mining we’ll need to support the proliferation of gadgets. That would in turn avoid the greenhouse gases from such mining operations, plus losses of biodiversity.

The complexity of e-waste, though, makes it expensive to process. As the chart above shows, even an ambitious scenario of a formal e-waste collection rate in 2030 is 44 percent. “There is no business case for companies to just collect e-waste and to make a profit out of this in a sustainable manner,” says Baldé. “They can only survive if there is legislation in place which is also compensating them.”

The report notes that 81 countries have e-waste policies on the books, and of those, 67 have provisions regarding extended producer responsibility, or EPR. This involves fees paid by manufacturers of EEE that would go toward e-waste management.

Of course, people could also stop throwing so many devices away in the first place, something right-to-repair advocates have spent years fighting for. Batteries, for instance, lose capacity after a certain number of charge cycles. If a phone can’t hold a charge all day anymore, customers should be able to swap in a new battery. “Manufacturers shouldn't be able to put artificial limitations on that ability,” says Elizabeth Chamberlain, director of sustainability at iFixit, which provides repair guides and tools. That includes limiting access to parts and documentation. “Repair is a harm-reduction strategy. It's not the be-all-end-all solution, but it's one of many things we need to do as a global society to slow down the rate at which we're demanding things of the planet.”

At the core of the e-waste crisis is the demand: A growing human population needs phones to communicate and fridges to keep food safe and heat pumps to stay comfortable indoors . So first and foremost we need high-quality products that don’t immediately break down, but also the right to repair when they do. And what absolutely can’t be fixed needs to move through a safe, robust e-waste recycling system. “We are consuming so much,” says Baldé, “we cannot really recycle our way out of the problem.”

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Reimagining Design with Nature: ecological urbanism in Moscow

• Reflective Essay
• Published: 10 September 2019
• Volume 1 , pages 233–247, ( 2019 )

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• Brian Mark Evans   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1420-1682 1  

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The twenty-first century is the era when populations of cities will exceed rural communities for the first time in human history. The population growth of cities in many countries, including those in transition from planned to market economies, is putting considerable strain on ecological and natural resources. This paper examines four central issues: (a) the challenges and opportunities presented through working in jurisdictions where there are no official or established methods in place to guide regional, ecological and landscape planning and design; (b) the experience of the author’s practice—Gillespies LLP—in addressing these challenges using techniques and methods inspired by McHarg in Design with Nature in the Russian Federation in the first decade of the twenty-first century; (c) the augmentation of methods derived from Design with Nature in reference to innovations in technology since its publication and the contribution that the art of landscape painters can make to landscape analysis and interpretation; and (d) the application of this experience to the international competition and colloquium for the expansion of Moscow. The text concludes with a comment on how the application of this learning and methodological development to landscape and ecological planning and design was judged to be a central tenant of the winning design. Finally, a concluding section reflects on lessons learned and conclusions drawn.

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The landscape team from Gillespies Glasgow Studio (Steve Nelson, Graeme Pert, Joanne Walker, Rory Wilson and Chris Swan) led by the author and all our collaborators in the Capital Cities Planning Group.

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Evans, B.M. Reimagining Design with Nature: ecological urbanism in Moscow. Socio Ecol Pract Res 1 , 233–247 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42532-019-00031-5

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