Electronic devices

Did you know there are more mobile phones than people in the world? It is estimated that on average an individual owns up to two mobile phones. Cell phones have become such important tools in our daily lives that it’s no surprise that some act like it is an appendage in the human body. In this article, we will be looking at the impact of waste generated from our love of electronics on the environment.

Electronic waste is defined as electrical or electronic gadgets that are no longer useful or have reached the end of life and are destined for either re-use, refurbishment, recycling or disposal. Half of e-waste includes personal devices like phones, laptops and tablets whilst the rest are household appliances such as televisions, computers and printers.

Just like fast fashion, people tend to give up semi-new products in exchange for newer, slicker and better devices which have created a major e-waste problem. Further complications are created because many electronic devices are hibernating in people’s drawers and garages.

It should also be noted that the negative impact of the electronics manufacturing industry is not only felt in e-waste. Coltan is a metal used in the production of tantalum capacitors that is incorporated in many electronics. Its main function is to store electricity.

80% of the world’s coltan is found in the Democratic Republic of Congo which has become an epicenter of conflicts and illegal mining that has affected millions of Congolese. Labourers, including children, are forced at gun point to mine the metal in horrible conditions for the retrieval and sale of the metal to electronic giants across the world.

In addition, the mining for coltan has endangered the Grauer’s gorilla through habitat destruction and poaching and remains the primary reason the population of the Grauer’s gorilla has declined by 77 %.

 

What Happens to The Electronics We Dump?

According to a UN report, approximately, 50 million tons of e-waste is produced annually and only 20% is recycled formally. The remaining 80% is either recycled informally or accumulates in landfills.

A large percentage of e-waste in Western countries is transported illegally to developing countries where they are then recycled informally. The workers mainly separate the waste by hand and burn the non-metal components in order to retrieve the metals inside. This exposes the workers to cadmium, lead and mercury which can cause grave health conditions such as damage to the nervous and immune system, anaemia, kidney and skeletal problems.

 

What Can Be Done?

E-waste produced yearly has an estimated worth of $62.5 big ones ( lol.. billions) thus electronic recycling is quickly becoming an emergent, fast growing part of the recycling industry.

7% of the gold in the world is found in e-waste and surprisingly, there is less gold in a ton of gold ore than in a ton of e-waste. (Here’s an incentive to venture into electronic recycling hehe!)

Manufacturers need to be held responsible for the disposal of old devices by consumers and develop sustainable recovery strategies. Apple has trade ins in place whereby old iPhones still in mint condition are refurbished and resold. Old phones ruined beyond repair, are recycled and the materials recovered.

It is feared that improper management of e-waste is depleting valuable and raw materials from the Earth’s reserve and a circular economy could be the remedy.

A circular economy is one in which raw materials are not extracted, used and discarded but are recovered and reused in order to minimize environmental impacts and create sustainable jobs. This could be done by implementing durable product designs and buy-back & return systems for used devices.

Cell phones have a short lifespan but are of high value when compared to other electronics. There is 0.034g of gold and 0.35g of silver in each cell phone; their main purpose is conductivity of signals through the phone. If 1 million cell phones were recycled 35,200 lbs of copper, 770 lbs of silver, 75 lbs of gold and 30lbs of palladium would be recovered.

What is Kenya Doing?

According to a UNEP report, 44,000 tons of e-waste is produced in Kenya annually. The national government has drafted the National E-waste Management Strategy which is a 5-year plan that hopes to achieve a sustainable e-waste management system in the country.

It is said to start in 2022/2023 and it will include e-waste management infrastructure and the required tools for collection, transportation and disposal. The strategy also proposes cash incentives for consumers and will waive tax constraints for companies that collect and manage e-waste.

IMPACTS OF E-WASTE ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH

 

• It causes air pollution due to the burning of discarded e-waste parts that are not recyclable, like plastic. This releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
• Water pollution – toxic chemicals such as mercury, lead, barium and lithium (carcinogens) from e-waste discarded in landfills or that has been buried underground, infiltrate through the soil and contaminate underground water sources and surface water bodies.
• Soil pollution – as e-waste breaks down it releases heavy metals (lead, arsenic and cadmium) into the soil which are absorbed by plants leading to biomagnification through the food chain.
• In addition, lead poisoning can occur when humans are exposed to e-waste this causes damage to the central & peripheral nervous system and kidney failure.
• Hexavalent chromium affects the eyes, skin, liver, kidneys and respiratory system and phthalates affect the reproductive system, lungs, kidneys and liver both of which are found in e-waste.

TIPS AND TRICKS

 

1. Donate old electronics.
2. Rent electronics instead of buying new ones if you plan to use them for a limited period.
3. Take care and properly maintain your electronics, i.e., keep your phone and laptop clean, utilize covers and screen protectors, do not store too much data on your gadget to ensure that it runs smoothly, do not overcharge the battery to lengthen its life span.
4. Recycle old electronics.
5. Re-purpose and re-evaluate, i.e., determine if the new device is more of a want or a need.
6. Repair your electronics instead of replacing if repairable.

Closing remarks

E-waste is a growing problem with dire repercussions. Therefore, we need to be more conscious of the choices we make when it comes to acquiring electronics that may not be a necessity.