E-Waste; an Environmental Disaster
Old Computers & Cell Phones Litter the Environment in Poor Countries
Aug 12, 2009
E-waste is defined as discarded, obsolete or broken electrical equipment such as computers, cell phones, printers, and monitors. These devices often contain contaminants such as cadmium, lead, mercury and flame retardants that can cause some serious heath issues and pollute the area in which they are dumped.
Where does E-Waste Go?
Most Americans get a new computer every three or four years and some get rid of their old cell phones for the newest technology every one to two years. Individuals are responsible for creating piles of e-waste and corporations creates even more. This leads to a very large collection of e-waste and since garbage collectors usually will not accept it there is a conundrum as to what to do with it. It can be sent to recyclers that will process the parts legally and safely, but that costs money. There is usually a fee to get rid of electronics in this mannter. Therefore, e-waste is being sent to third world countries as “donations” so poor communities can have computers and cell phones. Unfortunatley, most of these devices do not work, or are obsolete, or they can’t be fixed.
In the video “Ghana: digital Dumping Gound, Frontline World Storeis from a Small Planet”, (June 23, 2009); Peter Kline reveals the fact that many corporations and even the US government are sending barges of e-waste to Ghana and other poor countries including China.
Children play what used to be a soccer field in Ghana finding their ball through the haze of smoke from smoking piles of flame retardent plastic casings from computers and monitors. They are taking a break from scavanging in the massive electronic dump yard for things they can take and sell in order to get food for them and their families. They often “melt down” electronics irregardless of the chemicals immited when burned to find melted metals.
E-Waste in Ghana, China, and India
Countries like Ghana accept old computers and accessories as donations but instead of contributing to the well being of their people, e-waste is creating miles and miles of piles of garbage. Interestingly enough some of the e-waste in Ghana was tracked back to the United States Government by a group of US students.
Mountains of e-waste have taken the place of rice paddies in China. Young women sit over hot plates melting down circuit boards filled with toxic materials to extract usable metals while their baby’s sit next to them teething on a circuit board.
India is producing its own e-waste even though they are still accepting those “donations”. Some of the people participating in the canabalization of this waste know it is dangerous to their health, yet they still do it because they need money to buy food and other necessities.
Recycling E-Waste
In 2007 the United States itself discarded 370 million units of e-waste and only 20% was recycled properly. Almost 90% of US e-waste is sent to third world and other poor countries. The Basel Convention produced a global treaty vowing to watch waste handling. This legislation banned hazardous waste exports from developed countries to poor countries. Although many countries signed, the United States did not join in this treaty.
The US does not have mandates for recycling e-waste although some states are creating their own. The first law passed concerning recycling cell phones was in 2006 in California. Many other states are considering their own legislation. Several computer and cell phone companies offer to recycle old or non-usable equipment. They send post paid envelopes or offer to have discards sent to them free of charge. Unfortunately most get tossed in the garbage or places they do no one any good.
It is better to save unusable electronics and watch for organized collections usually done through a county agency. Most of the time these collections go to reputable recyclers and not to India, China, or Ghana where they litter a soccer field and the children no longer play; they scavenge.
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