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 There are many people who change handphones almost every 6-8 months as the one used either gets outdated or becomes non-repairable due to extensive usage.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
