Bryan Walsh’s article “E-Waste Not” from TIME Online, published Thursday, January 08,
2009 explains some of the dangers associated with our current E-Waste System. The Article talks
about all of the E-Waste (Electronic-Waste) that is deposited at landfills in numerous countries. The
United States is currently the large provider of E-Waste, because of the obsolete use of the
technology in just under 3 years. If the top producers of e-waste do not control this danger, then
people in the East Asia Region, whom end up with half of the Electronic-Waste would be poisoned
to death trying to collect the metals.
Inside of all electronic parts, there are valuable silver or gold or maybe useful metals, that
can be sold, but toxic lead and other hazardous metals lurk in contaminated landfills, which could
seep into water and cause cancer outbreaks. Walsh talks about how the US does not regulate the e-
waste coming out and it is affecting developing nations because of the introduction of cancer,
radiation, and miscarriages. Over 80% of Americans simply toss obsolete gizmos into the trash. That
is an overwhelming odd because of the dangers of the Old CRTs, which the EPA controls, but the
Government Accountability Office has seen their service as “lacking”. Also for the 20% that do
recycle old and obsolete parts, there is another hidden risk, that is the toxic metals and other radiated
parts, when they are burned or heated and give off smoke that can easily become toxic and claim a
person’s life with cancer.
Although old phones or cellular phones and computers can be dismantled to obtain the
precious metals inside, such a procedure is time consuming and very risky. According to a sting
report about the EPA’s enforcement on CRTs, Foreign countries that wanted broken monitors
(CRTs) were given without the necessary approval from the EPA. The report notes “At least three of
them held Earth Day 2008 electronics-recycling events”. Another Problem is that a lot of exported
waste ends up in Guiyu, China a popular recycling hub where peasants heat or burn circuit boards to
collect the soldering metals. Guiyu flourishes as a place to find old and outdated parts, because there
are little to no strict guidelines as to how to break down e-waste. A problem of this is the toxic parts
and chemicals that come off into air creating cancer-causing dioxins, which elevates the number of
miscarriages. Also, the ashes that are produced from burning a laptop cloud the rivers and pollute
them, which turns them from a healthy color to gray or black and anyone drinking from the water,
will have either cancer or infections and will die. Finally a problem for developing nations is that,
every day more and more e-waste is piling up on their doorsteps. They do not have laws barring the
import of certain metals or no knowledge of efficient ways how to retrieve the metals. Jim Puckett,
founder of Basel Action Network (BAN), which was created in order to watch and control e-waste,
describes the regular peasant at handling e-waste, “You see women sitting by the fireplace burning
laptop adapters, with rivers of ash pouring out of houses. We’re dumping on the rest of the world.”
Although there are many risks associated with treating e-waste, People in the US are now
taking action at controlling the export/import of e-wastes to 3rd world countries. Then President-elect
Barrack Obama sponsored a bill, which became a law barring the export of mercury, which has a
very potent substance when touched can make people go insane. Also Green Groups are taking a
stand to persuade electronic manufacturers to take accountable for the products that they release into
the market. For Apple, the change is great. By reducing toxic metals and using more eco-friendly
designs, their products are now easily recyclable. Dell has also changed it view on the e-waste
matter. In 2004, The Company offered free recycling for its products, which customers can arrange
shipping online. Some people are now keeping their old TVs which use analog broadcast (Rabbit
Ears) to purchase a discounted digital converter (A coupon from Uncle Sam), to not be tempted to
discard their old TVs for a new one until theirs have lived their life and dies.