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E-Waste
WHERE DO YOUR OLD ELECTRICAL THINGS GO?
Have you ever wondered what actually happens to your computer when you throw it out? What about mobile phones? What about other electronic and electrical goods that are broken or have just been replaced with something more flash?
Find out what happens to e-waste in the ACT, and what you can do to responsibly dispose of your own e-waste.
What is e-waste?
Why is it an issue?
What currently happens to e-waste?
Where to from here?
What should I do with my e-waste?
References
What is e-waste?
The term e-waste is loosely applied to consumer and business electronic and electrical equipment that is near or at the end of its useful life. Typical products include computers, televisions, mobile phones, DVD players, stereos, photocopiers, and fax machines, as well as ‘peripheral’ goods such as batteries, printers and cartridges. There is no clear definition for e-waste however. For instance, whether or not items like microwave ovens and other similar "appliances" should be grouped into the category has not been determined.
Why is it an issue?
The management of e-waste is in fact a major global problem. Ownership of electronic products is increasing. On top of this, with new technology continually developing, the rate at which new electronic equipment is adopted, as well as the speed at which it becomes obsolete, is rapidly rising. What to do with this escalating e-waste has become a significant concern. It presents a huge challenge to everyone, including government, industry and domestic sectors.
To begin with, there are immense volumes of e-waste. The United States, well known for its electronic development and use, was estimated to have over 315 million obsolete computers by 2004. Less than 10% of this number were expected to be recycled. That’s now two years ago. With shorter life-span and increasing ownership of these products, these volumes are only increasing. Australia is no exception, with e-waste in this country currently growing at over three times the rate of general municipal waste. For example, it was expected 1.6 million computers would be sent to landfill in Australia in 2006. Accordingly, hazardous waste material comprising of computers alone was expected to exceed 7,200 tonnes last year.
More important perhaps than the amount of e-waste, is what it actually contains. Modern electrical equipment, for example, is often made up of hundreds of different compounds and materials. Many of these components form hazardous waste. Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic are used in electronic equipment, there are brominated-flame retardants in plastic components, and toxic materials are found in printer cartridges, to name a few. These present both occupational and environmental health threats, including toxic smoke from recycling processes and leaching from e-waste in landfill into local water tables.
There are also valuable materials that can be extracted to be reused in manufacture, including gold and platinum. The problem e-waste poses is that dismantling, separating and processing these components is difficult and expensive. There is also not necessarily a viable market for some recycled materials. The hazardous nature of e-waste along with the associated regulations and expense means that the filling of landfill, or even shipping of e-waste overseas, regularly takes precedence over reuse and recycling.
What currently happens to e-waste?
The US Environmental Protection Agency previously estimated a 5 to 10% annual increase in e-waste generated internationally, yet less than 5% of all e-waste is being recovered. This means that vast amounts are discarded to landfill. Because this type of waste typically contains hazardous materials, if it is disposed of in landfill e-waste contributes to a variety of environmental problems such as groundwater contamination.
Another common ‘solution’ for the disposal of e-waste is to send it overseas. Typically, developed countries export it to developing countries, sometimes under the guise of aid, for scrap metal recovery or refurbishment and then resale. The Basel Convention was initiated in response to outrage at the international trafficking of hazardous waste. Adopted in 1992, the Convention has been ratified by over 150 countries including Australia. The Basel Action Network, however, lists Australia as one of several institutions and countries working to undermine the Basel Convention’s Ban designed to end this dumping from rich to poorer nations.
Senator Ian Campbell, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, expressed his concern in mid-2005 at “the large and increasing volume of used electronic equipment sent (from Australia to) China, India and other Asian countries.” This specifically includes Australia, who has been exporting increasingly large volumes of used electronic equipment worth about $20 million a year. Such export of e-waste has caused extensive and severe environmental pollution in these countries, “as well as exposing workers, including children, to harmful heavy metals and other toxins.” We are exporting e-waste and it’s problems to try to avoid dealing with it in our own backyard.
Fortunately, the reuse and recycling of e-waste is an area growing along with the ever-escalating volumes. There are various community group, business and government initiatives set up to reuse and recycle e-waste. E-waste collected for these purposes is reused where possible either whole or as parts, or else is sent to recycling plants either in Australia or overseas. Processes at these plants are different to the dangerous backyard ‘recycling’ that has been reported in Asia and Africa, as they aim to treat and process all materials professionally and in an environmentally responsibly fashion.
Where to from here?
Reuse and recycling is an important part of e-waste management as it is with any waste. For example, there are organisations that arrange for old computers to be refurbished if need be and made available to individuals or groups with restricted access to computers and the Internet. Recycling allows recovery of valuable and hazardous materials that are otherwise dumped.
Reuse and recycling are not the only solution to dealing with e-waste. The concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is one that envisages far more responsible manufacturing of electronic goods in the first place. By removing hazardous inputs (that are currently either part of the manufacturing process or components of e-goods), raising the accountability of producers for their product over the entire life cycle of their products (for example, through legislation), requiring producers to take their products back (and implement environmentally and socially responsible solutions), and requiring improved initial design (incorporating greater longevity, upgradability, repair and reuse), this will minimise environmental impacts at each stage of a product’s life, not simply once it becomes obsolete for someone.
Some producers of electronic goods are beginning to implement this, with the intention of increasing the proportion of product components that can be safely reused or recycled. Others are implementing various take back programs, taking on board a broader responsibility for a product beyond the instant it leaves the manufacturing premises. An important role the consumer of electronic products can play is to make informed buying choices. Buying more responsibly made products contributes to supporting environmentally friendly producers and reducing the problem of e-waste.
What should I do with my e-waste?
Of course, while the implementation of EPR and carefully considering your next electronic purchase are important, it does not help you decide what to do with your old electronic items now. The good news is that there are a number of better options in the ACT than dumping it on the street. For information on what to do with computers and mobile phones click on the links below. For further information or details regarding other items have a look at the ACT NOWaste website or the references below.
References
http://www.abc.net.au/science/features/ewaste/default.htm
“E-waste”, a feature on The Lab site, looks at what’s being done with the growing mountain of e-waste, covering technology use in Australia, why e-waste is problem, the Basel Convention, exporting of e-waste, and global and local solutions.
http://www.nowaste.act.gov.au
This site has information on the ACT Government's NOWaste initiative. It has information on the public Mitchell and Mugga Lane resource recovery centres, as well as recycling and waste services in the ACT for all goods and materials.
- Basel Action Network (BAN)
http://www.ban.org
BAN is an organisation focused on confronting global "toxic trade" and its environmental destruction, including e-waste. The site has reports, photos, information on the Basel Convention and more.
- California Integrated Waste Management Board
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Electronics/WhatisEwaste/
A short but informative introduction to e-waste on the State of California website.
http://www.cleanup.org.au/au/LivingGreener/e-waste.html
Click on the pdf "Where do I recycle my Electronic Waste?" to find an e-waste recycler in your area. Australia-wide, and includes information for computers, ink cartridges, and mobile phones.
- Department of Environment and Heritage
http://www.deh.gov.au/settlements/waste/electricals/index.html
This has information on a strategy resulting from a government project aimed at addressing electrical and electronic product stewardship, or the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) concept.
http://www.kyoceramita.com.au/e-Waste.asp
Kyocera Mite conducted a survey a few years ago into e-waste in businesses. They recently completed the same survey for 2006. The site has information on e-waste and results from their first survey, as well as what steps to take to make a greener office.
http://www.mri.com.au
Check out this site for an example of a company interested in the full life cycle of electronic goods and active in reducing the volume of this equipment entering the waste stream. The site has information about MRI, complete with details on what is recycled and how.
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