E-waste

 It is a generic term used to describe all types of old, end-of-life or discarded electrical and electronic equipment, such as household appliances; office information and communications equipment.

National E-waste Day

Following its success in 2019, International E-Waste Day is now held on October 14th to promote the correct disposal of e-waste throughout the world.

Problems with E-waste

Electronic waste or e-waste is a huge problem around the world. Our old technology is often sent to landfill, not because it doesn't work, but simply because it has been replaced by a whizzy, all singing, all dancing, newer version.

State Responsibility

The major problem with e-waste is that the toxic chemicals such as lead, can leach into the soil over time. Then as rain washes it away, rivers and water supplies can be contaminated.

As a result most countries in the developed world have introduced strict laws to prevent e-waste being dumped into landfill. Electronic parts now have to be recycled.

In order to get around this, some countries have been sending their e-waste to less developed regions around the world where the regulations aren't as strict.

Health Effects

We hear of e-waste mountains where people (even children) spend their days in dangerous conditions searching for some of the precious metals from the broken electronic goods to sell for cash. This can have a very negative effect on their health and safety.