Essay on E-Waste Recycling - 1501 Words

When Apple CEO Steve Jobs took the stage to deliver a candid commencement speech at Stanford this past June, a plane flew over the stadium with a banner that read: Steve -- dont be a mini player -- recycle all e-waste. This was the latest stunt by the Computer Take-Back Campaign (CTBC), an environmental crusade supported by activist groups who have criticized Apple for lagging behind the rest of the computer industry in its recycling efforts. The planes banner referred to Apples recent announcement that it will now accept iPods for free recycling at all of its stores in exchange for 10 percent off the purchase of a new iPod. Until June, organizations like the CTBC and the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) roundly denounced†¦show more content†¦The CTBC claims that e-waste accounts for approximately 40 percent of these three toxins that end up landfills, noting that just 1/70th of a teaspoon of mercury can contaminate 20 acres of a lake, making the fish unfit to eat. Unfortunately, the EPA estimates that only 10 percent of e-waste is recycled annually. Even more upsetting, though, are the conditions in which some of these materials are recycled. While some firms operate under strict environmental regulations with adequate protocols to protect workers health, many do not. E-Waste Goes Global In 2002, the Basel Action Network (BAN) along with the SVTC released a groundbreaking, heartrending investigation called Exporting Harm: The High-Tech Trashing of Asia [PDF]. BAN found that 50 to 80 percent of e-waste collected in the western U.S. for recycling is actually exported to countries like China, India, and Pakistan. The investigative team witnessed the toxic dumping of lead-laden cathode ray tubes in open fields and rivers not far from populated areas, the open burning of plastics and wires, and exposure to toxic solders from circuit boards. They also documented hundreds of thousands of migrant workers (men, women and children), who were forced to break apart and process obsolete computers, completely unaware of the health andShow MoreRelatedE-Waste Recycling Program982 Words   |  4 Pagesenvironment. However, there are still some activities that we might think they are safe for us and the environment; it they actually kills us in far the future. One of them is recycling electronics equipment. Nowadays, electronic waste (e-waste) is increasing rapidly in the US and many people know that they should not just throw e-waste in the garbage can because it can be delivered to the landfill, burned and leave over chemical substances into water underground . That is very dangerous because it mightRead MoreRecycling E Waste And Its Effects On The United States834 Words   |  4 PagesRecycling e-waste If you where to ask a small child in Nigeria—what do you do everyday? They will most likely answer, burning e-waste and selling the minerals inside in in. Not an answer you would receive from an American children living in the Untied States. Slowly this kids are being sicken by all the dangerous substances that e-waste contains. Soon this will lead for their bodies to stop growing properly. They will eventually die. Old electronics should not be thrown away, instead recycledRead MoreEvaluating The Building Of An E Waste Recycling Facility Or No1883 Words   |  8 PagesRisk Paper Risk Assessment Plan This scenario is very complex and requires a very sensitive and dynamic approach in order to decide whether to approve the building of an e-waste recycling facility or no. Definitely all the sides, city official, company representatives and the society, need to communicate with each other in order to come up with the correct conclusion. There are a issues in this scenario, however, I believe that in contains problems of only one of three risk challenges. I thinkRead MoreEvaluating The Performance Of E Waste Recycling Programs Using Fuzzy Multi Attribute Group Decision Making Model1522 Words   |  7 Pages Review of â€Å"Evaluating the Performance of E-Waste Recycling Programs using Fuzzy Multi-attribute group Decision Making Model† Haokun Li hli120@illinois.edu â€Æ' Contents Introduction 4 Performance Evaluation 5 (1) Define Criterions 5 (2) Score the Criterions 6 (3) Compute Weighting Factors 7 (4) Computing Weighted Matrix 8 (5) Find Positive and Negative Ideal Solutions 8 (6) Compute Overall Performance Index 8 Conclusions 9 References 10 â€Æ' Abstract: A fuzzy multi-attribute groupRead MoreIt Is Supposed To Be A Bright Sunny, Warm Day In The Northern1564 Words   |  7 Pagesof not breathing in the foul particulates that waft around in the soupy gray sky. Almost ironically, our goal of processing e-waste, in an effort to reduce its effects, can contribute greatly to a large set of environmental, health, and social issues. And while the pollution in China can also be attributed to any number of unclean industrial practices, the issue of e-waste should not be put off for later handling. Jennifer Good of Brock University states that â€Å"†¦the Electronics TakeBack CoalitionRead MoreEssay about E-waste Management862 Words   |  4 PagesToxic waste or electronic waste (e-waste), produced by obsolete electronic products, is growing at an alarming rate, and poses a severe environmental threat. In light of challenges underlined by this new kind of waste, sound management is imperative. Although, America and Asia are economically very different from each other, ironically they do not differ much when it comes to the `mismanagement of e-waste: unsafe disposition practices, lax legislation, and inadequate recycling. Disposal of e-wasteRead MoreShould Electronic Waste Be An Unethical Political Decision?3555 Words   |  15 PagesThe production and circulation of electronic waste is a highly politicized and complex issue which highlights the conflicts and tensions between jobs and the environment. There are debates surrounding governance decisions and global economic linkages which approach the disposal of e-waste from two different stand points. One view is that the first world is making an unethical political decision to send its e-waste problem to pollution havens i.e. third-world countries with less stringent environmentalRead MoreThe Problem Of E Waste2629 Words   |  11 PagesE-Waste may be described as a broad and growing range of electronics ranging from large household devices such as refrigerators, air conditioners, cell phones, personal stereos and consumer electronics to computers, which have been discarded by their users. (Puckett and Smith, 2002). While this description is accurat e, it is slightly ambiguous about the length of time before a device can actually be considered waste. Often, owners discard their electronics long before they have reached the end ofRead MoreThe Problem Of E Waste1718 Words   |  7 Pageslives of the people and the use of such innovations. In this regard, electronic waste commonly referred to as â€Å"e-waste† is one of the biggest challenges facing people all over the world for the production of the electrical and electronic equipment has been growing rapidly in the past decades. Therefore, the rise in demand for this equipment and the high obsolete rate has made e-waste of the fastest growing source of waste. For this reason, experts have come out to suggest various methods that can beRead More Solutions to E- waste problem Essay997 Words   |  4 Pagesdevices. Consequently, in our disposable age most apparatus turn into aged ones in a couple of years or even months. This is one of the reasons why electronic devices be come waste. E-waste is discarded, surplus, obsolete, or broken electronic devices or apparatuses. Most environment protection organizations maintain that e-waste induces health and pollution problems. The primary reason for this view is that almost all of the electric devices contain hazardous substances which are toxic and are not