HomeEditors DeskPollution focus: How e-waste is producing large volume of digital garbage in...

Pollution focus: How e-waste is producing large volume of digital garbage in the Digital Space and how E-waste is impacting to the Environment  

E-waste is any discarded electrical or electronic items. This includes functional and broken items that are thrown in the trash or donated to a charitable retailer like Goodwill. Usually, if an item is not sold in a store, it will be discarded. E-waste is very dangerous because of the toxic chemicals that come out of the metal inside when buried.

E-waste volumes are growing worldwide. According to the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP), they have grown by 21% in the five years to 2019, when 53.6 million tons of e-waste is produced. For a glimpse, last year’s e-waste weighed up to 350 vessels per stop to form a 125km long line. This growth is expected to continue as the use of computers, cell phones and other electronic devices continue to increase, accompanied by rapid expiration.

E-waste problems

E-Waste has raised concerns because many components in these products are toxic and do not deteriorate easily if present. Based on these concerns, many European countries banned e-Waste from dumping sites in the 1990s Ming Hong et al discovered alarming levels of dioxin compounds, linked to cancer, developmental disabilities, and other health problems; in breast milk samples, placenta, and hair, these compounds are associated with improper disposal of electrical products.

In addition, surveys have shown that much of the US in Waste exports is unsafe to developing countries, leaving environmental and health problems in these regions. 12.9 million Women are working in the field of informal waste disposal, which can expose them to toxic e-waste and put them and their unborn children at risk. Meanwhile more than 18 million children and adolescents, some as young as 5 years old, are busy operating in the informal sector, which is the waste processing industry. Children often engage with parents or caregivers in e-waste recycling because their little hands are smarter than adults.

Some children sit, go to school and play near e-waste recycling centers where high levels of toxic chemicals, especially lead and mercury, can damage their intellectual abilities. Children exposed to e-waste are particularly vulnerable to the toxic chemicals they contain due to their size, underdeveloped organs and rapid growth and development rate. They absorb a lot of dirt compared to their size and cannot cut or remove toxic substances from their bodies.

E-waste induced risks

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health risks may be the result of direct contact with toxic waste products. These include minerals such as lead, cadmium, chromium, brominated flame retardants, or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Danger can arise from inhaling toxic fumes, as well as the accumulation of chemicals in soil, water, and food.

This poses a danger not only to humans but also to land and sea creatures. In developing countries, the risks are much higher because some developed countries send their e-waste there. Studies have shown that this global e-waste has serious consequences for people who work with e-waste but also for the people who live near it. .

International treaty prohibits the export of hazardous waste to poor countries

The Force of an International Accord, known as the Basel Convention, has banned the export of hazardous waste to poor countries since 1992, but the practice continues as Chris Carroll pointed out and hazardous materials such as CRT glass and access to flammable plastic markets. In addition, there is no current technology for the recycling of a particular EEE in an environmentally friendly manner. In the US, the US EPA estimates that about three quarters of commercial computers are stored in garages and cupboards. When discarded, it ends up in a garbage dump or in a garbage dump or shipped to Asia.

The European Union has a law that requires manufacturers to put in place measures to eliminate e-Waste. Due to the complexity and cost of recycling of consumer electronics, as well as the lack of legal regulation regarding e-Waste shipments, large amounts of digital waste are exported from various industrialized countries to areas where low environmental standards and working conditions undergo e-processing. -Waste more benefits. Impacts from those countries, particularly Asia, have already been reported. At the same time, the recycling and disposal of e-Waste is also growing in regions beyond Asia, especially in some African countries.

Opportunities for E-Waste management in India

The Department of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change introduced the E-Waste (Management) Regulations in 2016 to reduce e-waste production and increase recycling. Under the rules, the government has introduced an EPR that makes producers responsible for collecting 30 to 70 percent (over seven years) of e-waste they produce, the study said.

The integration of the informal sector into a public recycling program is essential to better manage the environmental and human health impacts. There have been attempts to integrate the illegal sector into a emerging context. Organizations such as GIZ have developed other business models for directing the informal sector organization into accreditation. These business models promote a city-wide collection system that provides real-time demolition and a strategy towards the best available technical facilities to maximize revenue from printed circuit boards. By replacing the traditional water-immersion system for gold by export to solvents and refineries, safe routes and higher incomes per unit of e-waste are made.

E-waste is a rich source of metals such as gold, silver, and copper, which can be extracted and returned to the production cycle. It has significant economic potential to successfully repatriate vital resources to e-waste and can provide income-generating opportunities for both individuals and businesses. The E-Waste Management Regulations, 2016 were amended by the government in March 2018 to facilitate and effectively implement environmentally friendly e-waste management in India. The amended rules review the collection objectives under the EPR provision from October 1, 2017. Through the revised objectives and monitoring under the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), effective and improved e-waste management will be ensured.

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