E-Waste Recycling

What is E-Waste?

Computer recycling, electronic recycling or e-waste recycling is the disassembly and separation of components and raw materials of waste electronics. Although the procedures of re-use, donation and repair are not strictly recycling, these are other common sustainable ways to dispose of IT waste.

How did E-Waste happen?

Although consumer electronics such as the radio have been popular since the 1920s, recycling was almost unheard of until the early 1990s.

In 1991, the first electronic waste recycling system was implemented in Switzerland, beginning with collection of old refrigerators but gradually expanding to cover all devices. The organisation SWICO handles the programme, and is a partnership between IT retailers.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive) became European Law in February 2003 and covers all aspects of recycling all types of appliance. This was followed by Electronic Waste Recycling Act, enshrined in Californian law in January 2005.

The 2000s saw a large increase in both the sale of electronic devices and their growth as a waste stream: in 2002 e-waste grew faster than any other type of waste in the EU.

How do we recycle E-Waste safely?

1. Think whether or not this product can still be used/repair as all electronics contain harmful chemicals that may contaminate the ocean.

2. Never throw your electronics into a regular bin as it will end up at a landfill where the resources in your electronics such as copper and gold will got to waste as our rare minerals are running out.

3. The best way to recycle e-waste is to find an E-Steward Certified e-waste recycler. You can use that link to find a certified e-waste recycler near you.

E-Stewards is a global team that makes sure organizations, businesses, and waste management companies are disposing of e-waste responsibly, and they’re working to stop the illegal trade of e-waste!

Looking for the E-Steward certification is one of the easiest ways to recycle your electronics.

Then you know that they’re going to be recycled, and you don’t have to worry about illegal trade, social, and environmental hazards.

What are the benefits of recycling E-Waste?

Reduced Mining of Virgin Resources

• Most electronic components contain minerals and metallic elements that must be mined from different mining fields across the world. The continuous mining of resources is fast, leading to their depletion and affecting the environment negatively.

• For instance, harvesting tin from electronic components reduces a significant percentage of tin mined from underground resources. Imagine this: you could get 40-800 times more gold and 30-40 times more copper from 1 ton of circuit boards than from mining 1 ton of ore.

Provides an Environmentally Friendly Source Of Resources To Manufacturers

• Every time you buy a new electronic device, the metallic and plastic composition are from a resource somewhere.

• When the old ones are thrown out, the negative impact is double: more metallic and plastic resources must be dug up, and the waste hurts the environment.

• Instead, practicing safe recycling of unwanted electronics means that you save the environment from being over-exploited, and you also keep it safe from unnecessary e-waste.

Prevent usage of landfills

• Landfills are serious environmental hazards and impact all living things, humans, plants, and animals alike.

• When you fail to recycle electronic waste from your house or commercial buildings properly, this waste ends up in the hands of informal waste operators who dump this in landfills.

• After a while, the metallic, plastic, and toxic materials in this e-waste start leaching through the landfills’ ground and find their way into nearby water sources.

Protect Bodies of Water from Toxic Waste Poisoning

• Landfills release toxic chemicals into the groundwater, and this finds its way to nearby wells and freshwater bodies.

• E-waste recycling prevents a fair amount of these toxic elements from leaching into bodies of water and ensures the water is kept fresh and safe. Keeping water clean is one of the benefits of recycling electronic waste.

E-waste recycling helps reduce air pollution

• High temperatures on the components cause them to release poisonous gases into the air, which are harmful to living things.

• Mining activities involve blasting on rocks and gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and dust.

Examples in Malaysia and other countries

In Malaysia, companies such as Maju Ewaste Sdn. Bhd. help the country by disposing our E-waste. They also provide incentives when recycling with them.

Under Environmental Quality Amendment Act 2012 -ACT A1441, the E-waste Management of Malaysia are in full force in order to recycle the E-waste in our nation.

In other countries, many countries are working on thier E-Waste programs.

United States

The United States Congress considers a number of electronic waste bills, like the National Computer Recycling Act introduced by Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA).

The main federal law governing solid waste is the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976. It covers only CRTs, though state regulations may differ.There are also separate laws concerning battery disposal.

On March 25, 2009, the House Science and Technology Committee approved funding for research on reducing electronic waste and mitigating environmental impact, regarded by sponsor Ralph Hall (R-TX) as the first federal bill to directly address electronic waste.

Japan

Sellers and manufacturers of certain electronics (such as televisions and air conditioners) are required to recycle them.This is covered by at least two legislations: the Law for the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources (LPUR); and, the Law for the Recycling of Specified Kinds of Home Appliances (LRHA).

The former, which was passed in 2001, encouraged manufacturers to voluntarily help recycle goods while the LRHA, which was adopted in 2009, required more recycling efforts by both consumers and manufacturers of home appliances.

However, no legislation exists to cover the recycling of computer or cellphone-related wastes.

South Africa

Thanks to the National Environmental Management Act 1998 and National Environmental Management Waste Act 2008, any person in any position causing harm to the environment and failing to comply with the Waste Act could be fined R10 Million or put into jail or receive both penalties for their transgressions.

Personal Note

E-waste is is a relatively new segment in the global problem of waste removal. It is also the fastest growing segment worldwide in discarded waste. We can clearly see Malaysia and others nations working hard to push the ideas of removing E-waste as safely and as efficiently as possible.