What Can We Do About the Growing E-waste Problem? - 3 views
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tcale003 on 19 May 20China recently banned other countries from sending e-waste to them. E-Waste is comprised of many toxic materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium which are very harmful to people and the environment. Many new technologies for biodegradable electronics are being looked at and there is even an EcoAtm in some U.S. states for people to recycle their small electronic devices.
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When China banned 24 kinds of solid waste last September, countries such as the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan realized they had a big problem. Until last year, China accepted 70 percent of the world’s electronic waste—discarded computers, cell phones, printers, televisions, microwaves, smoke alarms, and other electronic equipment and parts.
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After China stopped accepting this e-waste out of concern for its environment, Europe and North America began shipping more of it to Southeast Asia—but now Vietnam and Thailand, whose ports have been overwhelmed, are curbing imported e-waste as well.
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This article introduces what is e-waste and the main reason for the surge in e-waste. It also introduced the current recycling status of e-waste and the harm caused by the informal recycling of e-waste, such as heavy metal poisoning and financial information leakage. In addition, measures to address the proliferation of e-waste were also discussed.
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It has become necessary for more proper and formal recycling of e-waste as it is economical and environmentally beneficial for companies. China decided to accept less e-waste from other counties and as a result there is more e waste going to other countries in south east Asia damaging their environments.