ELIMINATE E-WASTE
An effort to recycle electronic devices and end the e-waste dumping crisis in Africa
WHAT IS
E-WASTE?
E-Waste is a popular and informal name for any electronic product that is nearing the end of its functional life.
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"Electronic product" is a broad term that includes many of the household electronics that we find familiar, such as cell phones, computers, televisions, and printers. It also extends to other "universal waste" items like batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, charging cables, ink cartridges, and several more items that we tend to throw away without realizing they contain heavy metals like lead, cadmium, copper, and chromium.
Because of their chemical components, e-waste items pollute the land, air, and aquatic environments, causing many health problems to their neighboring communities. However, these electronic gadgets can be recycled and repurposed for good.
HOW IS E-WASTE AFFECTING THE WORLD?
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E-waste is the world's fastest-growing domestic waste stream, fueled mainly by higher consumption rates of electronics, short life cycles, and few options to repair broken devices.
In 2019, there were 53.6 million mountains of e-waste generated around the globe.
Only 17.4% of that was collected and recycled.
E-waste comprises 70% of our overall toxic waste
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E-Waste dumping in Africa is now contributing to a form of toxic terrorism, which is the unethical and illegal dumping of hazardous waste in poor countries. In fact, Africa only contributes 2.2 Mt (Metric-tons) of E-waste annually, but it processes 44.7 Mt each year, which demonstrates the disproportionate burden placed on African countries to handle these toxic and heavy metals. A few years ago, electronic waste was banned and was heavily monitored the exports and imports into certain countries. However, with the increase in control came the increase in underground dumping of electronic waste in several developing countries, many being in Africa. As a result, the true amount of electronic waste is unknown. Without proper standards and enforcement, incorrect practices can cause public health and environmental dangers.
In Africa, the people responsible for disposing E-waste include pregnant women and minors, who are not given the necessary PPE (personal protection equipment), which will keep them safe from heavy metal exposure and toxic chemicals. Many issues arise when crude techniques such as open-air burning and acid baths are used in order to recover valuable materials from the electronic components. The environmental pollution caused by the disposition of E-waste can harm entire communities, who drink the water and breathe the air in which the chemicals are released into. However, they have no other more sophisticated means to dispose of these materials. As a result, irreversible health effects such as cancers, miscarriages and neurological damage occurs in the surrounding communities.
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While we may have not understood the repercussions of E-waste disposal, now is a good time to create an awareness by becoming more educated on the topic. Take a look at the video above to get a better understanding of how the burden of E-waste affects the day to day life of citizens in Ghana.