E-Waste Recycling: Definition, Environmental, Economic and Social Issues

E-waste recycling entails the processes engaged to recover the waste to be used in new products. The world has been experiencing large amounts of e-waste due to rapid technological advancements. Recycling saves the ecological system from the burden of electronic waste. It helps to create and maintain sustainable economies and provides employment for thousands. Export of e-waste to developing countries raises global trade issues.

Electronic-Waste (E-Waste)
Recycling

Definition
 Also referred to as:
 e-waste or
 e-scrap
 Trash generated from broken, obsolete or surplus electronic devices.

E-Waste Recycling
 Entails the processes engaged to recover the waste to be used in new
products (Haque, 2018).
 The world has been experiencing large amounts of e-waste.
 Due to the rapid technological advancements.
 New technologies render old ones obsolete.
 422 million unwanted phones laid in people’s premises in 2015
(Mortillaro, 2016).

Cont’d
 Unused electronic devices usually end up in garbage collection areas.
 UN in 2014 confirmed that more than 41 million tons of e-waste was
disposed globally (Kraus, 2018).
 Only 40 percent of the e-waste was discarded properly.
 Electronic devices contain valuable materials such as gold.
 Such valuables can be reused even after the life-span of an
electronic.

Environmental Issues
 Limited exploitation of natural resources.
 The production of electronics causes much harm to the environment.
 Recycling saves the ecological system this burden
 Electronic devices contain hazardous and toxic chemicals.
 The danger increases when they are not disposed properly.
 Recycling is the safest way of disposing unused electronic products.
 Recycling minimizes mining activities.
 Mining is not only harmful the environment and individual miners.

Cont’d
 Recycling helps to preserve the ecological biodiversity.
 However, informal recycling processes could cause even more harm
(Kumar & Holuszko, 2016).
 Dismantling e-waste leads to environmental impacts even when done
effectively.
 The gas and liquids released in the process get their way in to the
atmosphere, the soil and ground Water.
 These toxics are harmful to both plant and animal species.

Economic and Social Issues
 Helps to create and maintain sustainable economies (Shirazi, Irani, &
Bener, 2016).
 Saves the energy that could otherwise have been used in new items.
 Results to the recovery of valuable metals such as copper, silver.
 Leads to minimal spending on energy and acquiring new materials.
 The e-waste associations provide employment for thousands.
 Decreased unemployment rates lead to lesser social malpractices.

Cont’d

Political and Legal Issues
 Export of e-waste to developing countries raises global trade issues.
 All exported waste should be screened for harmful substances.
 Brokers in the business export unscreened waste avoiding the costs.
 Developing countries end up acting as dumpsites for electronic
waste.
 Presents a possible security threats both to the countries exporting
them and the individual owners of the products.

References
 Haque, T. (2018, May 24). Introduction to Electronics (E-waste) Recycling.
Retrieved from The balancesmallbusiness:
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/introduction-to-electronics-e-waste-recycling-4
049386
 Kraus, R. (2018, June 12). Wasted: For the sake of our only planet, recycle
your e-waste. Retrieved from Mashed:
https://mashable.com/2018/04/26/how-to-recycle-ewaste/#.kr.WqJ3Ukqh
 Kumar, A., & Holuszko, M. (2016). Electronic Waste and Existing
Processing Routes: A Canadian Perspective. Resources, 5(35), 5-19.
 Mortillaro, N. (2016, May 24). Electronic waste skyrockets in Canada. Retrieved
from Global News: https://globalnews.ca/news/2718497/electronic-waste-
skyrockets-in-canada/
 Shirazi, F., Irani, A., & Bener, A. (2016). A critical interrogation of e-
waste management in Canada: Evaluating performance of
environmental management systems. Journal of Leadership,
Accountability and Ethics, 13(3), 1-23.