Commentary: Empowering Consumers: The Right to Repair and E-Waste Reduction

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): Right now, only a small amount of the electronic waste is properly processed and recycled. The rest is filling our landfills with dangerous substances, or it’s being incinerated, causing air pollution and accelerating climate change. The concept of waste diversion comes to the rescue, aiming to reduce the quantity of e-waste by prolonging the life of electronics by repairing them at home or with the help of local repair shops.

According to the World Economic Forum, by 2030 we will produce 81.6 million tons of electronic waste per year. WEEE Forum has even more alarming predictions: In 2023, we will produce 8 kg of e-waste per person which totals 61.3 million tonnes, and only 17.4% of it is being collected and recycled.

The list of dangerous substances that come from discarded electronics such as laptops, PCs, mobile devices, etc. is extensive; however, when it comes to hazardous contributors, the top substances are Beryllium, Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, and Nickel, not to mention the various plastic derivatives and coatings.

For instance, Beryllium is used in electronic components as copper-beryllium, and it is historically used in computer motherboards. Cadmium is known for its use in switches and contacts but it’s also a part of the Ni-Cd batteries of many laptops and lead is used for soldering on all the printed circuits inside electronics.

All these materials leach into soil, water, and air, contaminating the local ecosystem and posing health risks for both humans and wildlife. These are not just words on paper or monitors. For instance, lead damages the nervous system, especially in children, causing reduced IQ, developmental issues, and behavioral disorders. When mercury is burned, inhaling its fumes will damage the liver, kidneys, and respiratory system, contributing to lung cancer and other illnesses. PVC is all over in our electronics. However, the fumes resulting from burning it can affect the immune system and pose carcinogenic risks. These are just a few examples of how electronic waste can harm us or our environment.

Additionally, we are losing tons of useful and precious materials that are used in the batteries of laptops and mobile devices and in other electronic components of PCs such as the CPUs and RAM. From metals like Gold, Silver, Platinum, and Palladium to rare earth metals like Neodymium, Europium, and Yttrium, all of them are either scarce or costly to obtain.

 Courtesy: www.wasteadvantage.com