Protecting the environment has always been one of the top priorities of many countries these days. However, little do we know that not only are plastic bags and other types of household waste the main sources for pollution; there is another type of waste, electronic waste (or e-waste), that is rapidly increasing every year due to the easy access and widespread innovations in technology. Since e-waste is considered a new term to the general public, it does not receive a lot of attention and is frequently overlooked; however, the financial and environmental damage it brings is surprisingly severe. This essay will further discuss the cause of e-waste as well as address the detrimental effects that come from it.
Why does e-waste increase so rapidly?
Material satisfaction is believed to play a crucial role in the reason why e-waste is produced globally and in massive amounts. People frequently replace their electronic devices due to, apart from technical breakdowns, the availability of a newer model. This can be seen in the release of the new iPhone XS after less than a year from the date when the iPhone X was released. Despite the fact that only a few more features were added, ranging from longer battery life of approximately 10 minutes to faster microprocessors which allow more efficient performance, “a combined total of ~7 million units” (Zhang, 2018) of the new release were sold over the weekend after its official release date. For many buyers, this replaces a perfectly good model that was introduced less than a year earlier. For a mobile device with high retail price, $899.99 (Apple, 2018), discarding the iPhone X from technical issues is unlikely, which suggests the heavy weight of satisfaction from material possessions is the reason why these newer-but-not-so-much-more-advanced models still remain in high demand.
Figure 1: Buyers throw away old devices when there’s a newer model available
The detrimental effects of E-waste
E-waste is likely to be the most expensive type of waste that does not only cause financial loss, but is also a source of toxic chemicals that severely damage the environment. According to a study conducted by Dr. Ruediger Kuehr, “…e-waste presents an opportunity worth over 62.5 billion dollars per year…” Furthermore, according to IFIXIT: “More than 20 million tons of e-waste are produced every year… If you put every blue whale alive today on one side of a scale and one year of US e-waste on the other, the e-waste would be heavier.” This, in combination with the extremely high cost of e-waste, shows how much of a financial loss the world is going through every year. E-waste also raises concerns about water, air, and soil pollution. As stated by an IFIXIT report: “When electronics end up in landfills, toxics like lead, mercury, and cadmium leach into the soil and water.” (IFIXIT, n.d). This type of waste is formally recyclable; however, if disposed inappropriately, this can post a serious threat to the environment.
Conclusion
Overall, although e-waste is considered a new concept to the public, the financial and environmental effects it brings cannot be neglected. Technology innovations are introduced every year, and the availability of newly innovated models has led to the rapid increase of e-waste over the years. Moreover, failure to recycle and appropriately discard e-waste has put the world under enormous financial loss and alarming environmental issues. As urgent as it is to finally recognize and reduce e-waste, both consumers and the authorities have to make efforts to recycle as well as make wiser purchases when it comes to electronic devices in the future.