With the advancement of technology, modern people are living in a world full of electronic products, especially since the invention of smart phones, almost every person has a cell phone, and some people hold more than 2 cell phones at the same time. According to the United Nations, in 2014, a record 41.8 million tons of e-waste was generated globally. The current global e-waste category mainly includes e-waste from cell phones, refrigerators, washing machines and other household appliances, with the U.S. and China generating the largest total amount of e-waste, while countries recognized as highly environmentally friendly, including Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Denmark, and the U.K., were unexpectedly at the top of the per capita e-waste rankings. (Image source: Greenpeace Taiwan)
Where is all this discarded e-waste going? Most of it is illegally exported from Europe, the United States, Japan and other major consumer countries to developing regions such as China, India and Africa for dismantling, recycling and reuse. But while the e-waste figure is as high as 41.8 million tons, less than one-sixth of it has been properly recycled, and the rest of it has not been recycled, but is spread out in some corners of the earth.
Substances found in large quantities in this e-waste include epoxy resins, fiberglass, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoset plastics, lead, tin, copper, silicon, beryllium, carbon, iron, and elemental aluminum. Greenpeace, a non-profit organization, has uncovered that workers dismantling e-waste during the recycling process can seriously affect workers' health and contaminate local land and water sources due to exposure to a variety of toxic substances.
What can be done to solve these problems? Currently, most industry groups and public policies focus on "recycling" and "safe disposal of e-waste". For example, the European WEEE goal is to achieve 45% recycling of e-waste by 2020, and because each e-product is made from dozens of different materials and contains a mix of toxic and non-toxic materials, the e-waste industry is advocating the need for specific measures to protect the health of workers.
However, the United Nations University's Solving the E-Waste Problem Initiative (StEP), released in February 2015, has made a new recommendation because recycling is still a challenge from the point of view of current recycling technology and economics. E-waste recycling is still a challenging industry from the point of view of current recycling technology and economics, so it would be better to advocate for lowering the amount of e-waste rather than increasing the percentage of recycling.
How can efforts be made to reduce e-waste at the source? For example, in industrialized countries, encouraging consumers not to update their devices such as cell phones, laptops, and computers in general too often, using flea markets more often, and increasing the number of electronic device repair stations to extend the life of electronic devices are all good ways to do this.
Experts say there are three major benefits to extending the life cycle of a product:
First, the environmental benefits: every time a consumer buys a used product instead of a new one, it reduces the amount of raw materials and energy consumed in the manufacturing process, which in turn reduces the impact on the environment.
Second, economic benefits: reducing the number of products purchased saves taxpayers money.
Third, the social benefits: second-hand stores and repair activities have traditionally been carried out by disadvantaged groups, whereas in industrialized countries they are carried out by social enterprises or non-profit enterprises. In the EU, it is estimated that e-waste reuse and recycling by social enterprises can provide 10,000 jobs and collect and process 200,000 tons of e-waste annually.
As developing countries have modernized over the past decade, phasing out many outdated appliances and also purchasing many of the latest smart electronics, and with computer prices down to about one-tenth of what they were 15 years ago, many people hesitate and think about whether to extend the life of their electronic devices, what are the benefits of extending the life cycle of a product? Is it worth it? If the national unit can strengthen more publicity, from childhood to educate the next generation of correct consumer concepts, will help the earth's sustainable development.