Entry #9 Electronic Waste

Electronic waste, known as ‘e-waste’, can be defined as electronic equipment, products that connect with power plugs and batteries which have become old fashion due to the advancement in technology. Types of E-Waste are computers, servers, mainframes, monitors, TVs & display devices, telecommunication devices such as cellular phones & pagers, calculators, audio and video devices, printers, scanners, copiers and fax machines besides refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, and microwave ovens, e-waste also covers recording devices such as DVDs, CDs, tapes, electronic components such as chips, processors, and motherboards are all considered e-waste.

In order to control the amount of e-waste, many countries recycle the old systems or the old fashion electronics and sell them to another country at a lower price. Although, there are a few countries that reuse, recycle and reproduce the electronics, not all the countries allow the electronics to be recycled or resold. Additionally, The large number of people using computers and electronic equipment’s and dumping old electronic goods for new ones, the amount of E-Waste generated has become one of the biggest environmental problems in the world. As a result, electronic waste management has become very important not only due to the generation of our own waste but also dumping of e-waste, especially computer waste from various countries.

Every time you replace one of your electronic devices, it’s your responsibility to be sure your old one gets recycled properly. Ideally, your first step will be to consume less. Don’t get pulled into the hype of new technology if you can help it. If you do want something, try to find a gently-used version first. Then, when you have an expired product, take the time to find a responsible e-waste recycler.