KOLEHIYO NG LUNGSOD NG LIPA

MARAWOY, LIPA CITY

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION

RESEARCH PAPER
ABOUT E- WASTE

Prepared by:

CHONAMA F. FETALCO
BSED III- BioSci
 E – waste Management

What is e – waste?

E- waste or electronic waste refers to any item with plug, battery or cord that is
no longer working or wanted. Electronic waste (e-waste) refers to the disposal of broken
or obsolete electronic components and materials. E-waste materials may be valuable
and recyclable, such as random access memory and reusable laptops. However,
hazardous materials, such as cathode ray tube monitors, require special handling in
disposal.
Electronic waste, also called e-waste, various forms of electric and electronic
equipment that have ceased to be of value to their users or no longer satisfy their
original purpose. Electronic waste (e-waste) products have exhausted their utility value
through either redundancy, replacement, or breakage and include both “white goods”
such as refrigerators, washing machines, and microwaves and “brown goods” such as
televisions, radios, computers, and cell phones. Given that the information and
technology revolution has exponentially increased the use of new electronic equipment,
it has also produced growing volumes of obsolete products; e-waste is one of the
fastest-growing waste streams. Although e-waste contains complex combinations of
highly toxic substances that pose a danger to health and the environment, many of the
products also contain recoverable precious materials, making it a different kind of waste
compared with traditional municipal waste.

Types of e- waste

1. ICT and Telecommunications equipment

Mainframes, personal computers (CPU, mouse, screen and keyboard etc), laptop
computers, printers, networking equipment, scanners, mobile phones, CD / DVDs /
floppy disks, UPSs, radio sets, television sets, video cameras, video recorders, Hi-fi
recorders, audio amplifiers and musical instruments.
 2. Office electronics
Photocopying equipment, electrical and electronic typewriters, pocket and desk
calculators, facsimile and telephones.

3. Large Household Appliances

Refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, dish washing machines, cooking
equipment, microwaves, electric heating appliances, electric hot plates, electric
radiators, electric fans, air conditioner appliances, exhaust ventilation and conditioning
equipment, large appliances for heating beds, rooms and seating furniture.

4. Small Household Appliances

Vacuum cleaners, carpet sweepers, water dispensers, toasters, fryers,
appliances for hair-cutting, hair drying, brushing teeth, shaving and massage; electric
knives, clocks, appliances used for sewing, knitting and weaving.

5. Consumer Equipment
Equipment for turning, milling, sanding, grinding, sawing, cutting, shearing,
drilling, punching, folding, bending or processing wood, metal and other materials. Tools
for riveting, nailing or screwing or removing rivets, nails, screws or similar uses. Tools
for welding, soldering or similar use. Tools for mowing or other gardening activities,
sewing machines etc.

6. Toys, leisure and sports equipment

Electric trains or car racing sets, hand-held video game, video games, computers
for biking, diving, running, rowing, etc. Sports equipment with electric or electronic
components.

7. Lighting
Fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent lamps, high intensity discharge lamps,
pressure sodium lamps, metal halide lamps, low pressure sodium lamps and any other
lighting or equipment for the purpose of spreading or controlling light with the exception
of filament bulbs.

Medical equipment
Scanners, operating electrical equipments such as stethoscopes, radiotherapy
equipment, cardiology equipment, dialysis equipment, pulmonary ventilators, nuclear
medicine equipment, laboratory equipment for in-vitro diagnosis, analyzers and
freezers. Other electrical appliances for detecting, preventing, monitoring, treating,
alleviating illness, injury or disability.

8. Automatic dispensers
Automatic dispensers for hot drinks, for hot or cold bottles or cans, for solid
products, for money, and other appliances which deliver automatically all kind of
products.
 9. Monitoring and control instruments
Smoke detectors, heating regulators, thermostats, measuring, weighing or
adjusting appliances for household or as laboratory equipment and other monitoring and
control instruments used in industrial installations.

10. Batteries
Lead, Nickel and Cadmium batteries etc.

E waste environmental issues

E-Waste, also called electronic waste, is the name for electronic products that
have come towards the end of their “useful life.” This can include computers, monitors,
televisions, stereos, copiers, printers, fax machines, cellphones, dvd player, cameras,
batteries, and many more electronic devices. Used electronic devices can be reused,
resold, salvaged, recycled or disposed. E-waste has a horrible effect on the
environment and it is important to give your e-waste to an R2 certified recycling facility.

Here some important facts you need to know about the environmental effects of e-
waste.
1. Computers and most electronics contain toxic materials such as lead, zinc,
nickel, flame retardants, barium, and chromium. Specifically with lead, if
released into the environment can cause damage to human blood, kidneys, as
well as central and peripheral nervous systems.

2. When e-waste is warmed up, toxic chemicals are released into the air
damaging the atmosphere. The damage to the atmosphere is one of the
biggest environmental impacts from e-waste.

3. When electronic waste is thrown away in landfills their toxic materials seep
into groundwater, affecting both land and sea animals. This can also affect
the health of the people in the developing countries where most of the electronic
waste in dumped.

4. Only 10 percent of cell phones are recycled in the United States and most
Americans get new cell phones every 12 to 18 months. This is creating more
and more electronic waste and with the lack of responsible recycling, the
environmental issues of e-waste are continually increasing.

5. In Guiyu, China, many of the residents exhibit substantial digestives,

neurological, respiratory and bone problems. This is the largest e-waste
disposal site in China and quite possible the world, Guiyu receives shipments of

6. Pollution - Air, water, heat and noise pollution can all be caused by producing
and using technology
 Air Pollution: Burning of wires release hydrocarbons in the atmosphere.
  Water Pollution: Electronic devices contain toxic metals like mercury, lead and
lithium, which when disposed of improperly, mixes with ponds, lakes and
groundwater. Communities that directly depend on these sources of water then
consume it unknowingly. These heavy metals are hazardous for all forms of
living beings.
 Soil Pollution: These heavy metals enter the food chain as they are absorbed
by plants from the soil. These metals not only destroy the plants, but also are
then consumed by other living beings, leading to a poisonous food chain.

7. Consuming resources - Non-renewable resources, including precious metals

like gold, are used to make technology. Many others, such as coal, are
consumed to generate the electricity to use technology. Even some renewable
resources, like trees and water, are becoming contaminated or are used up
faster than they can renew themselves because of technology.

8. Waste - Manufacturing technology creates large amounts of waste, and used

computers and electronics get thrown out when they break or become outdated.
Called "technotrash," these electronics contain all sorts of hazardous materials
that are very unsafe for the environment. They need to be disposed of using
special methods.

9. Disrupting ecology - Clearing land where animals used to live to build factories
and allowing pollution to contaminate the food chain can greatly affect the
environment's natural cycles.

10. Health hazards - Using toxic materials that can harm our health can cause
cancer, and technology addiction can lead to other health problems like obesity
and carpal tunnel syndrome.

The human hazard associated with e- waste

Improper handling of e-waste is detrimental to the environment and mankind.

Since this waste is nothing but a combination of plastics and toxic chemicals, these get
released into the environment. Pollutants such as dioxins and furans from polyvinyl
chloride, lead, beryllium, cadmium, mercury, etc. get into our environment and cause
the following health hazards:

 Reproductive issues
 Developmental problems
 Damage to the immune system
 Interference with regulatory hormones
 Damage to the nervous system
 Kidney damage
  Hamper’s brain development in children
 May lead to lung cancer
 Chronic beryllium disease
 Skin ailments
 Cadmium accumulations on liver and kidney
 Asthmatic bronchitis
 DNA damage
 Muscle weakness
 Endocrine system disruption

Countries produced e- waste

Effects of E – waste

POSITIVE EFFECTS OF E- WASTE

 Environment
By recycling e – waste, you get to conserve energy by reutilizing old parts and
build new devices from the same. More importantly, you help to prevent any hazardous
substances from impacting the immediate environment which is why products such as
batteries need to be disposed of safely rather than bunging them into a trash
compactor. Electronic products often contain toxic materials such as mercury, cadmium,
lead among others and all of these are inherently harmful to all humans. And by
recycling e- waste successfully, you would be protecting the environment and at the
same time, ensure that these toxic materials are disposed of safely.

 Reutilization
Old electronic parts are a valuable resource for most electronic companies since
they can reutilize the parts and develop new products. Just because a computer is
obsolete, that does not mean that all its inner parts will be of no use. On the contrary,
some of the top electronic companies often source e- waste, obsolete machine parts
and reuse the same to develop newer products.

 Rare earth
Most electronic products contain rare earth minerals, a rare and valuable
resource. This is why some of the companies’ source e- waste, grind it to pulp and use
various processes to sift through the lot to locate rare earth components such as cobalt,
gallium, iridium and more. These are the re- processed and then utilized in the
manufacture of new electronic products.

 Employment opportunities
The e- waste recycling sector generates hundreds of thousands of jobs each
year; this has proved to be invaluable for the economy and actually goes a long way to
help mitigate poverty. Moreover, this sector offers many with a steady employment and
even helps to train them so that they can recycle the e- waste efficiently.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF E-WASTE

 Dumping e-waste:
The current tendency is for the developed world to dump their garbage onto the
developing world and the sad part is that this tendency seems to be on the rise. Despite
various voluntary organizations stepping up efforts to block or halt this garbage export, it
seems to continue unchecked. The problem is that most of these e-waste ends up in a
garbage depot that is not equipped to process e-waste nor or their personnel trained to
do so; as a result, this e-waste constitutes a health and environmental hazard, one that
can have disastrous consequences for the developing world.
  Health:
It is essential that the workers who handle e-waste are adequately protected at
all times; the reality though is that most of those working in this sector are rarely
provided with any safety clothing and as a result, often put themselves and their loved
ones at high risk, when they handle e-waste. Electronic products often contain toxic
materials such as Cobalt, Iridium and at times can even be radioactive. And as these
workers process the e-waste with their bare hands, their health is going to be impacted.

 Data breach:
Every electronic product will retain data in one form or another, and most of the
e-waste dumped each year represents a ready source of valuable data for some. It is
essential that all the data is wiped out before the product is recycled as this can go
some way to preventing data theft.

Ways to Reduce E-Waste and its Hazards

The following are ten ways to curb these environmental hazards, reduce electronic
waste, and save our planet:

1. Sell old Electronics

One of the best and easiest methods of reducing the electronic waste footprint is to
sell or donate your electronic gadgets to those in need. If you are planning on selling,
you should be able to easily find a buyer as they will have the opportunity to purchase
the same product at a much lower price than if it were new. You get easy money while
the buyer gets a nice gadget; a win-win for both.

2. Donate old Electronics

Donating electronics to the needy is also a practice followed by many. It not only
gives the gadget a new life, but also makes you feel good about yourself.
If you decide to donate your old electronic devices when you don’t need them anymore,
make sure to clear any information (like data in your laptop hard drive) before you
donate it.

3. Recycle and Dispose of E-Waste Properly

Improperly disposed e-waste is becoming more and more hazardous, especially as
the sheer volume of our e-waste increases. For this reason, large brands like Apple,
Samsung, and other companies have started giving options to its customers to recycle
old electronics. Sometimes, you may even get financial compensation for recycling your
old devices!
Recycling old electronics allows the expensive electronic parts inside to be reused. This
can save a lot of energy and reduce the need for mining of new raw resources, or
manufacturing new parts.
You can find electronic recycling programs in your local area by doing a Google search
for “recycle electronics” and your city or area name.
 4. Maintain your Electronics
One of the best ways to save your money and reduce e-waste is to keep your
electronics well-maintained, to increase its life. Here are some tips to get you started.

Maintaining a Laptop or Computer:

Make sure your PC’s hard drive or SSD doesn’t get completely full. This allows it
to keep running smoothly and quickly for a long time.
Clean your computer often so that it doesn’t get dirty.
Whenever possible, try not to overcharge your battery. This means unplugging your
charger before your laptop hits 100%, which will improve your battery’s overall lifespan.

Maintaining a Mobile Phone:

Use a phone case and screen protector so that your phone doesn’t break when
you drop it. Similarly to laptops, keep your device clean and don’t always fully charge
your battery if you don’t need to (This improves overall battery lifespan).
By maintaining your electronics, you save money on having to buy new gadgets
when your old ones break down. You’re also keeping electronics out of landfills by
increasing the total lifespan of your electronic devices.

5. Repurpose or Re-evaluate
Always think twice before upgrading or buying a new electronic device:
1. Do you really need this new device?
2. Is it a need, or more of a want?
3. Will it add value to your personal or professional life in any way?

6. Store Data Online

By storing data online, you get to access your data from anywhere around the world,
without the need to carry a storage device at all times. Cloud storage also gives you a
large amount of storage, for free or for very cheap. This not only offers convenience to
you, but reduces the need for manufacturing of new storage devices. This
indirectly reduces your carbon footprint and curbs the amount of generated e-waste.

7. Buy Energy Star Rated Electronics

Investing in environmental friendly electronics have interdependent benefits.
A high Energy Star rated device consumes less energy, reducing your electricity bill
significantly. In addition, because less energy is required, it keeps a check on resource
(energy) depletion by avoiding over-utilization. It indirectly saves the environment by
reducing the load on resources’ (energy) extraction and depletion.

8. Learn to Repair Broken Electronics at Home

Some brands of modern electronic devices are only meant to last for a few years
under regular use before failing. However, along with maintaining your electronic
devices by cleaning them regularly to help them last for longer, you could also learn
how to fix hardware problems on your device.
By learning to repair your electronics at home, you will gain more detailed
knowledge and understanding of the hardware of your device.
 9. Rent Electronic Equipment instead of Buying
If you are planning to use a specific piece of electronic equipment for a limited period
of time, it would be a better idea to rent it instead of buying it.
For example, if you sparingly use industrial weighing scales for measuring, say, the
weight of the electronic waste, rent the scales instead of buying them.
Renting equipment is both a cost-effective and environmentally friendly option, as
you only have to pay for the duration you rent rather than buying the equipment outright
and then letting it rot away after one or two uses.

10. Spread the Word!

Let’s say you’ve been faithful in your quest to reduce electronic waste. You’re buying
less unnecessary electronics and donating your outdated ones, among other things.
You’re doing your part, and that’s great! Now, it’s time to share your knowledge with
other folks who may be less aware about the hazards of e-waste.
Next time you see a family member improperly disposing of an old computer or buying a
new smartphone for no reason, take the time and share your knowledge on the
detrimental effect of their actions.
Most importantly, give those people a reason to act on your advice. For example, if you
know of a good place nearby to donate old electronics, make sure to let them know!
One honest discussion about responsible ways to reduce e-waste has the potential to
make a measurable difference both in your community and on a global scale.

CONCLUSION:

E-waste comes from the improper disposal of any number of electronic devices
such as computers, television, cellphones, and most other electronic equipment. E-
waste is the fastest growing segment worldwide in discarded waste. The hazardous and
dangerous nature of electronic waste or e – waste is one of the rapidly growing
problems of the world. What is done with old computers and phones is what is
contributing to the e- waste problem. This growing problem in the world is largely
ignored and misunderstood . Many people do not understand what the effect and how it
affects the life of every individual and the environment where they live. And some
people understand the importance of properly disposing of these old units but many
more still throw them in the garbage or incinerators. The continuous increasing amount
of e- waste associated with the lack of awareness is the reason in continued deepening
of the problem.
Despite the various new technologies that emerging for solid waste disposal, the
best method of disposal is to recycle different equipment. It can be reused as new
products. Recycling electronic waste has many cost and benefits. The benefits that we
will receive as a community will exceed the cost vastly. From the benefits that we can
see that recycling e- waste prolonged the availability of scare natural resources for
future generations, recycling also limits potentially dangerous chemicals from entering
the ecological system. And also it reduces the carbon footprint and the pollution. These
are very important benefits that will help out the environment and future generations
substantially. We need to conserve those materials and keep them from harming the
environment by disposing them properly.