by webmaster on September 9, 2008
With the proliferation of electronic gazettes that make people aware of what’s new and what’s in thus becoming a new lifestyle status symbol for modern society, a lot more people are adapting and flaunting the new technology equipments. It’s really the age of the “Hi-Tech”. Mobiles, laptops, MP3/MP4 players, desktop PCs, LCD Tvs and other advanced technology equipments have become a common man’s toy. Gadgets have become important commodities for the common man and becomes obsolete fast as new upgrades in technology are introduced each day. These obsoletes eventually find themselves among our daily waste.
These Electronic Waste is highly dangerous for the environment and hence should not be disposed like regular garbage. Electrical and electronic equipment are made up of a multitude of components. Some contains toxic substances which produces an adverse impact on human health and the environment when not handled properly. They should be segregated and disposed of properly.
Vendors of used computers say they often come across defective computer parts that when repaired may cost more than a new one. These defective parts like display cards, network cards or mother boards of old computers get thrown into the nearest dustbin alongwith other garbage. According to Dealers of home appliances, used Television and Electronic equipments are usually purchased by dealers as buyback. These second hand equipments, if working, are usually resold to small vendors. Otherwise they are sold to scrap dealers. These scrap dealers in turn use some of the useful material from these equipments and throw away the rest of the things into the garbage bin.
Mobile phone showroom owners do the same thing. When they come across non-repairable phones, they keep the working parts of the phone into their inventory and throw away the stripped phone. There are many people who change handphones almost every 6-8 months as the one used either gets outdated or becomes non-repairable due to extensive usage. They normally sell the old phones for peanuts to second hand vendors.
Environmentalists say toxins and chemicals released by wrongful disposal of these waste creates dangerously harmful effects to human body. According to studies, the quantity of eWaste is drastically increasing in our environment. And if it is not controlled using specified methods, it will create unpredictable harm to the environment.
Some of the harmful effects that eWastes produce due to improper disposal are as follows :
- Releasing of toxins into the soil, air and groundwater caused by breaking, improper recycling or disposing of Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)
- Formation of dioxins induced by burning of wires
- Alarmingly high formation of dioxins induced by burning of Printed Circuit Boards
- Leaching of Mercury caused by improper destruction Circuit Breakers
- Leaching of Lead caused by breaking of CRT Glass
You should think twice before you throw away your stuff. You might be able to get rid of it momentarily. Unknowingly, however, you cause irrepairable damage to our environment which will eventually end up with unavoidable peril right at your doorstep.
Think twice and remove ewaste properly.
by webmaster on September 6, 2008
A person’s outdated PC is another person’s treasure. You may no longer have use for an obsolete PC but someone else might, and that’s why you may want to consider reselling as an option. As a general rule, the shorter you make PC refresh cycles, the more costs you can recoup at the end.
Organizations selling PCs at 36 months typically recover 3–5 percent of the original cost of the PC, but beyond 36 months organizations often end up paying 5–10 percent of the cost of a PC just to have it disposed of properly. Your best bet is to get a company to help you put together a hardware asset management plan so you can forecast future PC purchases, take advantage of volume discount programs, and get the most money back for your older computers.
by webmaster on September 6, 2008
According the EPA, the US alone currently plays host to around 500 million obsolete, broken or otherwise unused cell phones, with about 130 million more added each year. This amounts to around 65,000 tons of waste per year! Less than 2 % of mobile phones are currently being recycled through refurbishment and resale to developing country consumers in Latin American and Asian countries, or disassembled for gold and other parts, which raises the question of the other 98% that must be either sitting around in landfills, or in peoples bottom drawers.
by webmaster on September 6, 2008
Learn where to pass on, donate or sell your old equipment
Look in your neighbourhood for ‘e-waste re-cycling’ programs.
Search online for ‘e-waste recyclers’ in your local area. Google other mobile Phone recyclers (web-list of some results shown below)… Check local councils, special schools, global green groups like WWF (who ship old phones to emerging third world countries), try local and state emergency services for donations etc…
by webmaster on September 6, 2008
Electronic equipment contains toxic materials, including lead, cadmium, and mercury, which seriously pollutes the soil and ground water when disposed of in landfills in large quantities. For example, old computer and television monitors with cathode ray tubes (CRTs) contain, on average, 2-4kg of lead and are currently hitting the landfills across the globe in alarming numbers as we scramble for LED screens.
by webmaster on September 6, 2008
US Congress is currently pushing the government via a resolution recently introduced to them to ban the export of environmentally damaging electronic waste to developing countries.
Commonly referred to as House Resolution 1395, if successful, this would place the US alongside the countries that ratified the Basel Convention. The Basel Convention is an agreement between 170 countries seeking to regulate the international shipment of toxic waste.
The US, although part of the member countries who took part in signing the Convention, failed to ratify it and still has many agreements with countries that receive its electrical waste.
This Resolution is symbolic. However, unlike concurrent or joint congressional resolutions which are advanced by both houses, single hose resolutions are not signed by the president and does not become law. They are more often used to express the general opinion of a house on a matter.
The ratification of the Bassel Convention by the US is viewed by many as a huge step in lessening the harmful effects brought about by these electronic wastes.
by webmaster on September 6, 2008
Wall Street Journal has recently released a report declaring e-waste “the world’s fastest growing and potentially most dangerous waste problem.”
A wide variety of electronics from televisions, old game systems, computers and monitors that we throw away comprises these so called “EWaste.” Governments and other concerned groups have recently focused on recycling computer monitors because of the amount of lead and other dangerous toxins that are present within these units. Like televisions, these monitors also contain cathode ray tubes.
Concerns about hackers and identity thieves taking away information from recycled CPU’s is something that a lot of people are really scared of. Although data has been erased from the hard drive, it would not be a difficulty to access for those who knows what they’re doing. In order to avoid this hazard, it is always recommended that hard drives be removed and destroyed before turning over the unit for recycling. The assurance that one’s information is safe makes the idea of recycling performed with ease.
There are lots of things that governments are doing to make the burden of ewaste removal lighter to each and every person. Portals like EWaste Removal aims to help efforts in reaching out to those constantly in search of answers to ewaste questions.
by webmaster on September 2, 2008
This is just a bird’s eye view of what our environment would look like if we don’t act now.
Ewaste removal is a problem that has been facing progressive and developing countries alike. It doubles its proportion each day and if not acted upon early, it may as well mark the end of this beautiful world that we live in.
Ewaste is not like the common trash that we throw away each day. Studies have shown that these waste products emit harmful materials that damage the ecosystem thus creating damage to the environment.
Our own tomorrow lies in our very own hands. A simple act of consciousness contributes a whole lot in addressing these issues that face us today.
With the proliferation of electronic gazettes that make people aware of what’s new and what’s in thus becoming a new lifestyle status symbol for modern society, a lot more people are adapting and flaunting the new technology equipments. It’s really the age of the “Hi-Tech”. Mobiles, laptops, MP3/MP4 players, desktop PCs, LCD Tvs and other advanced technology equipments have become a common man’s toy. Gadgets have become important commodities for the common man and becomes obsolete fast as new upgrades in technology are introduced each day. These obsoletes eventually find themselves among our daily waste.