In regard to fast consumption
- Technological developments and the constant renewal of products shorten the lifespan of electronic and electrical devices.
- Lifespan of a computer was at least 4,5 years in 2000, which has decreased to 2 years in 2005, and that continues to scale down.
In regard to environmental pollution, social injustice and human health
- The products that get lighter with technology contain fire resistant chemicals and heavy metals.
- The global amount of e-waste is estimated to be nearly 40 million tones per year.
- According to the UN, the e-waste produced in 2012 was enough to fill 100 Empire State buildings.
- The majority of e-waste is disposed in landfills. Only %25 of that is recycled under formal conditions.
- Developed countries send %80 of their e-waste to countries like China, India, Pakistan.
- %70 of the global e-waste are processed at primitive facilities in underdeveloped countries.
- Many chemicals including heavy metals are exposed due to the primitive methods in e-waste recycling.
Economic value of e-waste recycling
- E-waste contains valuable raw materials such as gold, copper, palladium and plastic that are either limited or serviceable.
- It is believed that e-waste recycling can supply a large part of the global metal demand, especially in the regions that are scarce in resources.
What can you do?
- As the authorized bodies in e-waste management are municipalities, you can get information from your local government about their e-waste collecting practices. There are e-waste collection stations in some provinces and districts, whereas some local governments might direct you to their Waste Collection Centers.
- TEGV collects e-waste as donation (https://tegv.org/tag/elektronik-atiklar/).
- Some tech markets have e-waste stations, you can deliver your e-waste there.
