1. E-waste The Silent Destroyer of Planets
By: Breanna Hitchens
“Let us rememberourresponsibilitytopreserve ourolderresourceshere onEarth.Preservation
of ourenvironmentisnotaliberal orconservative challenge,it'scommonsense”–RonaldRegan. The
preservationof ourworldisan importantandnoble cause.We onlyhave one earthand are limitedby
some nonrenewable recourses.Yet,we treatourplanetasif we have two andit isdisposable.As
humanswe are greedyandwe developourtechnologies andourfuture we lose ourcommonsense.E-
waste isa huge problemintoday’ssocietyandthousandsof ournatural recoursesare beingwasteddue
to poor educationregardingrecyclingelectronics.E-waste canbestbe definedas“old,end-of-life or
discardedappliancesusingelectricity.Itincludescomputers,consumerelectronics,fridgesetcwhich
have beendisposedof bytheiroriginal users”.These electrical devicescontainvarioushazardous
materialswhichare harmful tohumanhealthandthe environmentwhennotproperlydisposedof.
Hazardousmaterialssuchas chromiumV1,arsenic,barium, beryllium, brominatedflame retardants,
cadmium,chlorofluorocarbons,chromium, dioxins,lead,mercury,polychlorinatedbiphenyls,Polyvinyl
chloride,andselenium are harmful toourenvironmentandare releasedduringdecompositionwhen
electronicsare notproperlydisposedof. We have tostopand ask ourselveswhathappenstothe future
of ourplanetif we don’trecycle E-waste?If we recycle itall ina landfill whatwill happen?If notwhere
do we put it? It ismy belief thatIf we donot recycle e-waste we will deplete ournatural recoursesand
damage and pollute oursoil andwaterinan irreversible way.
Before we can talkabouta solutionwe needtounderstandwhatwill happentoour
environmentif we donotrecycle our E-Waste.“Electronicproductsare made fromvaluable resources
and materials,includingmetals,plastics,andglass,all of whichrequire energytomine andmanufacture.
Donatingor recyclingconsumerelectronicsconservesournatural resourcesandavoidsairandwater
pollution,aswell asgreenhousegasemissionsthatare causedby manufacturingvirginmaterials”
(epa.gov).Whenwe donotrecycle e-waste itpollutesare airand waterand releasesharmful
greenhouse emissionsthatdamage ouro-zone layer.If ouro-zone layerisdestroyedandwe lostour
“greenhouse”earthwouldbe averycoldplace.Greenhouse gasseskeepthe earthwarmthroughthe
greenhouse effect.The ozone layerisresponsible forabsorbinginfraredradiationfromthe sun’sraysin
orderto keepthe earthat a suitable temperature.Asthe atmosphere getswarmeritmakesearth
warmerto. E-waste causesthe greenhouseeffecttobe damagedwhichinthe longrun can resultina
massive environmentchange literallychangingthe waywe live life onearthaswe know it!It’s a scary
thoughtto thinkthata cell phone throwninthe trashtoday has an everlastingeffectonthe future of
earththat once done cannotbe undone.
Water andsoil pollutionisalsoabigscare withE-waste.Raytubesfoundinoldertelevisions,
videocamerasandcomputermonitorsare oftenbrokenapartand the yoke removedfromthe ray tube
and the shell dumped.Harmful contentsinthe shell,suchasleadand bariumslowlygetabsorbedbythe
earthssoil.The leadandbariumthenmake its wayfurtherdownthe earthslayersintoour ground
water.The same ground waterof our local communities!Thesetoxinsendangerthe communitiesthat
drinkand bathe inthe water.It alsoendangersthe wildlife thatdependonthe watertosurvive.Once
the wateris damageditcosts a tremendousamountof moneytoclean.Inorderto treat the water,it
mustgo thru a water treatmentplant.Inthe watertreatmentplantthe taintedwaterissentthrua
2. numberof chambersand chemical processestoreduce the toxicityof the waste inthe water.Soil isalso
damagedthroughthe release of toxins.A study…“of the Guiyu landfill found wind patterns in
Southeast China disperse toxic particles across the Pearl River Delta Region. The area, which
contains a population of 45 million, is at-risk due to the toxins entering the “soil-crop-food
pathway,” which is one of the most common ways that heavy metals enter the human body”
(http://electronicrecyclers.com/). E-waste not only damages our water but the soil which our food
and crops are bred from.
Our lungs are also a victim of e-waste. Air pollution is another harmful effect of e-waste.
Many e-waste processing plants are not ethically run and therefore not safe. In order to make a
quick buck some people burn computer wires in order to get the copper inside a very valuable
commodity. Little to the scoundrel’s knowledge once the wires are burned they release a
hydrocarbon which when emitted into the air is devastating to our o-zone. Stripping of gold
plated computer chips also leads to emissions of brominated dioxins and heavy metals. In fact,
“A recent study of the environmental effects of the largest e-waste landfill in the world in Guiyu,
China, found airborne dioxins to be 100 times more prevalent than previously measured”
(http://electronicrecyclers.com/). These affects harm our o-zone layer and cause the depletion of
the greenhouse affect outlined before.
But wait,e-waste isalsoasecurityhazardand alsodirectlyleadstohumanslavery!Thismay
soundcrazy but…. “accordingto the BorgenReport,there are an estimated29.8 millionpeoplelivingin
slaveryacrossthe globe”(http://electronicrecyclers.com/).It’sastonishingtothinkthate-waste causes
slavery.Manypeople are forcedindangerousandgruelingworkforlittle tonowages.Since 90% of e-
waste isillegallytradedthere are manycriminal organizationsthatbenefitfromthe strippingand
processingof e-waste withthe helpof forcedorcheaplabor. Workersthat are forcedintothese
conditions workwithoutrightsorprotection,Workersare exposedtothe same hazardsmaterialsthat
we discussedpriordue toe-waste ona dailybasis.Furthermore,whene-wasteisdumpedinthe trash
preciousfilesare leftonmanydevices.“Creditcardnumbers,financial dataandbankaccount
informationcanall be obtainedbythose trainedtodoso. There isa large organizedcrime ringinGhana
specificallydedicatedtosearchingthroughdiscardedcomputerdrivesfordata
(http://electronicrecyclers.com/).E-waste damagesourenvironment,causesslaveryaswell as
encouragesorganizedcrime.Howmuchworse coulditget!
Nowthat we knowwhatare the negativestoe-waste andhow itaffectsourworld.We have to
ask ourselveshowexactlydowe getridof e-waste inaneconomicallyfriendlymanner.Throw itina
landfill?One thoughtthatcomesto manypeople’smindstoe-waste istojustthrow the unwanted
itemsina landfill.The problemwiththatisthatthrowingit in a landfill isjustas badas throwingiton
your frontyard. It is commonknowledgethatall landfillsleak! The e-wasteaswe learnedearlierina
landfill still leaksthroughthe soil andthenintoourdrinkingwater. Eventhe moststate-of-the-art
landfillswhichare sealedtopreventtoxinsfromenteringthe groundare notcompletelytightinthe
long-termandwill alwayscause leakage. Some harmful toxinsrelease duringleakagemaybe mercury,
cadiumand leadwhichare among the mostlethal.“Mercury,forexample,will leachwhencertain
electronicdevicessuchascircuitbreakersare destroyed.Leadhasbeenfoundtoleachfrombroken
lead-containingglass,suchasthe cone glassof cathode ray tubesfromTVsand monitors.When
brominatedflame retardedplasticsorplasticscontainingcadmiumare landfilled,bothPBDEand
cadmiummayleachintosoil and groundwater.Similarly,landfilledcondensersemithazardousPCB's”
3. (ewasteguide.info).Some of thesetoxinsare alsohighlyflammableandmercury ishighlyflammable.
The fact that landfillsare prone touncontrolledfiresmakesforabad mix and evenworse those very
firedleadtothe release of toxicfumesadditionallydamagingouratmosphere.Leakage alsodamages
our foodby releasingharmful toxinsintothe soil.Soif we can’tjustthrow it ina landfill andwe can’t
throwit out thenwhatdo we do?
Why notjust burnit settingeverythingonfire makeseverythingbetterright?Wrong!
Incinerationmaysoundlike agooda day butwhenelectronicsare setonfire the release toxic
substancesandgasesintothe air. “Studiesof municipal solidwaste incinerationplantshave shownthat
copper,whichispresentinprintedcircuitboardsandcables,actsa catalystfor dioxinformationwhen
flame-retardantsare incinerated.Thesebrominatedflameretardantswhenexposedtolow temperature
(600-800°C) can leadto the generationof extremelytoxicpolybrominateddioxins(PBDDs)andfurans
(PBDFs).PVC,whichcanbe foundine-waste insignificantamounts,ishighlycorrosivewhenburntand
alsoinducesthe formationof dioxins”(http://ewasteguide.info/).Inshortitsreallybadfor yourhealth.
Whendioxinsare releasedintothe atmosphere theycause …“reproductive anddevelopmental
problemsanddamage ourimmune system, interfere withhormonesandevencause cancer”(who.int).
Whenburnedthese dioxins actuallygetinourfood.These dioxinscancause bothlongtermand short
termhealtheffectsonbothhumansandanimals.“Short-termexposure of humanstohighlevelsof
dioxinsmayresultinskinlesions,suchaschloracne andpatchydarkeningof the skin,andalteredliver
function.Long-termexposure islinkedtoimpairmentof the immune system,the developingnervous
system,the endocrine systemandreproductive functions.Chronicexposure of animalstodioxinshas
resultedinseveral typesof cancer.”(who.int).Ithinkit’sfairtosay that burningof e-waste isnota
viable option.
Anothercommonsource thatwe use to getrid of our regularwaste isan openfire whichdiffers
fromincineration.Sowhynotjustlightthe flamesandhave a bonfire! Studiesshow thisisahorrible
idea.Burninge-waste thruanopenfire causesmanytraumatichealtheffects.Infact… “Inhalationof
openfire emissionscantriggerasthmaattacks,respiratoryinfections,andcause otherproblemssuchas
coughing,wheezing,chestpain,andeye irritation.Chronicexposure toopenfire emissionsmayleadto
diseasessuchasemphysemaandcancer.Forexample,burningPVCreleaseshydrogenchloride,which
on inhalationmixeswithwaterinthe lungstoform hydrochloricacid.Thiscanleadto corrosionof the
lungtissues,andseveral respiratorycomplications.Oftenopenfiresburnwithalack of oxygen,forming
carbon monoxide,whichpoisonsthe bloodwheninhaled”(http://ewasteguide.info/).Notthatwe
learnedthe causesof e-waste andwhatwe can’tdo. Let’sdive intosome preventionand
environmentally,animal andhumanfriendlywaysof gettingridof E-waste.
There are a fewwayswe can stop e-waste andinmyopinionthe bestwaytoget ridof e-waste
isto simply…recycle it!Thinkaboutthisfora momentfor everymillioncell phoneswe recycle,35
thousandpoundsof copper,772 poundsof silver,75 poundsof goldand 33 poundsof palladiumcanbe
recovered. Thatisabsolutely insane all those resourcesare non-renewableresourcesthatwe can never
getback. By simplyrecyclinge-waste we cansave all those materialswhilesavingourplanet.As
mentionedbefore “electronicproductsare made fromvaluable resourcesandmaterials, including
metals,plastics,andglass,all of whichrequire energytomine andmanufacture.Donatingorrecycling
consumerelectronicsconservesournatural resourcesandavoidsairandwaterpollution,aswell as
greenhouse gasemissionsthatare caused bymanufacturingvirginmaterials”(epa.gov).Some places
that people cansafelyrecycle are easytofindandare actuallyveryconvenient!Some placesthatoffer
4. recyclingoptionsandtakebackprogramsare bestbuy,Wal-Mart, Costcotrade inrecycle program,
waste managementandSonye waste program, mrm E-waste recyclingprogramandmanymore!By
simplydroppingof E-waste ata local retail orrecyclinglocationyoucan bothsafe our planetaswell as
preserve ourworldsnonrenewable resources. Anotherwaytorecycle istojustdonate it.Donate or sell
your unwantedelectronicstosomeone whocanuse it.Withover 7 billionpeople andgrowingIamsure
someone willwantyourjunk.Alsobe more thoughtful byprocurementandgoodmaintenance of your
electronicdevices.Keystolive bywhenitcomestoe-waste are reduce,reuse,recycle!
Anothercommonwayto remove E-waste isrecyclingata factory.Whene-waste isrecycledata
factorycritical componentsthatwouldotherwisebe harmful andtoxictothe environmentsuchaslead
and CFCgases are dissectedandremovedfromelectronicitems.Once the itemsare brokendownthe
remainingelectronicitemsare thenshreddeddown.Thisprocessisknownasmechanical processing.
“Normallyanindustrial large scale operationtoobtainconcentratesof recyclablematerialsina
dedicatedfractionandalsotofurtherseparate hazardousmaterials.Typical componentsof a
mechanical processingplantare crushingunits,shredders,magnetic- andeddy-current- andair-
separators.The gas emissionsare filteredandeffluentsare treatedtominimizeenvironmentalimpact”
(http://ewasteguide.info/).Once thesematerialsare shreddedandseparatedthe nextstepof the
processisknownas refining.The goal of refiningistotake those valuable recoursessuchascopperand
goldetc and returnthemback to theirraw natural forms.All thisisdone withgreatprecautionto avoid
unwantedharmful effectsonthe environment.“Duringthe refining process,tothree flowsof materials
ispaid attention:Metals,plasticsandglass”(http://ewasteguide.info/).
E-waste isa seriousoftenunnoticedprobleminoursocietytoday.Itisnot an issue tobe taken
lightlybecause if we ignore it,itcouldliterallyleadtohumankindsowndemise.E-waste causesbothair
and waterpollution.Itdamagesourozone layerbycausesthe release of toxicgreenhouseemissions.It
evendepletesournatural recoursesthruincinerationandburningof ourmostpreciousresources.With
air and waterpollutionchemicalsandtoxinsreleasedare knowntocause cancerand lungproblemsin
humans.It alsodamagesourfoodby contaminatingoursoil.All these problemscause bothlongand
short termaffectswhichare botha hassle togetrid of and expensive toundoonce created.Today’s
societyneedstogetmore educatedandthinkaboutthe biggerpicture.We as a culture and society
needtotake a stepback and ensure ourchildren’sfuture andthe societyof tomorrow.If notwe will
literallybe livinginthe ice age againinthe longterm due to greenhouseemissions,animalswill die,and
we may neverbe able torecreate resourceswe have depleted.Itisthrumyresearchthat I firmlybelieve
if we do not take actionand If we donot recycle e-waste we will deplete ournatural recoursesand
damage and pollute oursoil andwaterinan irreversible way.If we simplyrecycle we will notonlysave
our resources,we will alsoensure the future of tomorrow tolive inahealthysafe environment.
Bibliography:
1. CaliforniaDepartmentof ResourcesRecyclingandRecovery(2016).What isE-waste?Retrieved
February10, 2016, fromhttp://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/electronics/whatisewaste/(Linkstoan
external site.)
2. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2016, February). Electronics Donation and
Recycle.Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.epa.gov/recycle/electronics-donation-
and-recycling (Links to an external site.)
5. 3. ewasteguide.info. (n.d.).Valuable Substances in e-waste. Retrieved February 10, 2016,
fromhttp://ewasteguide.info/node/220 (Links to an external site.)
4. "DioxinsandTheirEffectsonHumanHealth."WorldHealthOrganization.WHOMediaCentre,
June 2014. Web. 4 May 2016.
5. "Industrial WaterTreatment."Water-pollution.org.The GuidesNetwork,n.d.Web.4May 2016.
6. "How DoesE-Waste Affectthe Environment?"ElectronicRecyclingService.ERIServices,n.d.
Web.4 May 2016.
