(PDF) E- Waste and Its Management

Running head: E-WASTE
Video Analysis
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1E-WASTE
Question- Define the e-waste problem: what is happening and why is this a problem? What
can manufacturers do to improve the situation with the various issues (health, hazardous
materials, recycling, refuse, etc.)?
E-waste problem- Electronic waste or e-waste refers to damaged and discarded electronic
devices that are destined for reuse, salvage, resale, recycling, or disposal. This essay will discuss
several issues related to e-waste problems and their potential management strategies.
Why is it happening- Approximately 20-50 million tons of e-waste is generated annually,
on a global scale, of which only 20% gets recycled. These can be regarded as the fastest growing
section of the waste stream, generated from a nation (Greenpeace USA, 2018).
Why is it a problem- The primary problem associated with the use of e-waste can be
attributed to the fact that e-wastes are responsible for more than 5% of the entire municipal
wastes that are generated across the world, and are found to affect almost all countries. The rest
80% of these wastes go to incinerators and landfills, despite the fact that the chemicals present in
the wastes might seep into groundwater and streams, or generate dioxin on burning them (Leach
& Boyd, 2018). Harmful chemicals present in the wastes include lead, mercury, brominated
flame retardants, cadmium, and beryllium, each of which can create severe health impacts and
pollution.
What can manufacturers do to improve the situation- Efforts must be taken by the
manufacturers to produce electronic devices that last for a longer time and do not get heated up
quickly. Waste minimization in the electronic component processing systems should involve the
approach of recycling. One way by which the e-wastes are processed include melting of the
circuit boards, burning the cable sheathings for recovering copper and gold wires and open-pit