Have you wondered what happens to your old smartphone when you upgrade? Chances are it will eventually end up in a landfill, part of the mounting mass of e-waste that is now the fastest growing waste stream in the world. Discarded electronics also contain precious metals and rare materials. As it keeps piling up, there is a warning of ‘tsunami of e-waste’ that humans ignore to their own loss and their own peril.
E-waste are about half of the personal devices. Basically, anything with a plug, electric cord or battery- from toasters to smartphones, and fridges to LED TVs and the components used to make these- can be defined as e-waste. At present, only a few countries have a uniform way of measuring such waste.
16.8 MT small equipment, 9.1 MT large equipment, 7.6 MT temperature exchange equipment, 6.6 MT screens, 3.9 MT small IT, 0.7 MT lamps means in total 44.7 MT e-waste was generated in 2016. A typical mobile phone is 29% ABS-PC (industrial thermo plastic, 16% ceramics, 15% copper and compounds, 10% each silicon plastics and other metals, 8% other worse plastics, 3% iron. All these are same as 1,25,000 jumbo jets, which is more than all commercial aircraft ever created and it is almost equal to 4,500 Eiffel tower. It will more than double by 2050.
Some of the environmentally conscious Scandinavian countries are among the highest producers of e-waste in the world, with Norway leading the list in terms of kgs per capita of such waste. The total e-waste globally is equivalent to just over 6 kgs for every person on the planet. Europe and US alone contribute almost half the total e-waste generated annually.
e-waste is worth at least $62.5 billion annually. In fact, GDP of 123 nations is lower than the global value of e-waste. e-waste may contain precious metals such as gold, copper, nickel and rare materials like indium and palladium.
Matter Referenced: Times of India, Ahmedabad, Tuesday, 29th January, 2019.
By: Dr. Bhawana Asnani.
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