Now out on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, check out the latest episode, where I discuss the hidden dangers of tech waste. (Apologies for the rather terrifying photo above, but with it almost being Halloween, I thought I ought to make the images a little more fitting for the occasion).
I wanted to open up a conversation around tech waste, as it’s actually a huge problem I don’t think is being talked about enough.
I’m very new to looking in to this, so I definitely don’t have many answers or even much knowledge in this area, but I wanted to raise some awareness, hopefully learn more, and encourage you to learn more about this topic too.
Technology is such a prominent aspect of our lives. Even if you don’t consider yourself very digitally savvy, or someone constantly looking for the latest model of phone, laptop, smart kitchen appliance etc.
Tech devices are still impacting on our daily lives, and especially in the western world, it’s very rare that someone doesn’t own any electronic devices.
You wouldn’t be listening to this episode without technology, so we would all benefit from learning a few things about the environmental impact these devices can have on the planet, and what we can do to reduce these negative impacts.
If you still don’t think this issue is particularly important for you, let’s see if you own any of the following…… phone, laptop, TV, light bulbs, lamps, iron, microwave, washing machine, kettle, toaster, fridge, freezer etc....
Many electronic devices contain toxic materials, and need to be recycled very carefully.
Sadly, so many end up in landfill. Even if you are very cautious in the way you dispose of your electronics, you can’t guarantee it will be dealt with responsibly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vufLW4xOsS4 - This is a really interesting video talking about the American company BAN who install trackers in electronics to find out how they are actually being recycled once they’ve been disposed of, where they are travelling to.
This video talks about how hazardous waste is exported to developing countries, where those working at recycling plants have to separate the toxic aspects from the device, usually with no safety equipment.
Workers are often exposed to toxic chemicals like lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium.
Global Citizen Video:
In 2014, nearly 60% of old electrical items were dumped into landfill. 40% recycled but 25% of that exported to a developing nation.
“E-waste is now the fastest growing source of toxic waste in the world”
“in 2016 44.7 million tonnes of electric waste was generated worldwide, or the equivalent of 4,500 Eiffel towers".
E waste isn’t waste!! In 2017, the UN estimated e waste could contain more than 67 billion dollars worth of precious metals.
According to a report from The Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE) and the UN E-Waste Coalition, the annual value of global e-waste is over $62.5 billion, more than the GDP of most countries!!!
This is because of high value metals in electrical components such as gold, silver, copper, platinum and palladium.
More than 44 million tonnes of electronic and electrical waste was produced globally in 2017 – over six kilograms for every person on the planet. This is equivalent in weight to all the commercial air crafts ever built.
Less than 20% of e-waste is formally recycled, with 80% either ending up in landfill or being informally recycled – much of it by hand in developing countries, exposing workers to hazardous and carcinogenic substances such as mercury, lead and cadmium. E-waste in landfill contaminates soil and groundwater, putting food supply systems and water sources at risk.
According to the report, in addition to health and pollution impacts, improper management of e-waste is resulting in a significant loss of scarce and valuable raw materials, such as gold, platinum, cobalt and rare earth elements. As much as 7% of the world’s gold may currently be contained in e-waste, with 100 times more gold in a tonne of e-waste than in a tonne of gold ore.
Larger scale solutions include durable product design, buy-back and return systems for used electronics, ‘urban mining’ to extract metals and minerals from e-waste, and the ‘de-materialisation’ of electronics by replacing outright device ownership with rental and leasing models in order to maximise product reuse and recycling opportunities.
Parliament UK 2019 Article:
Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, Mary Creagh MP, said:
“Our old fridges, freezers, computers, TVs, kettles and mobile phones are piling up in a ‘tsunami of e-waste’.
“New phone launches, cheaper goods, and built-in obsolescence have contributed to the growth of electronic waste in recent years.”
“The UK produces more e-waste than the EU average. We are missing EU targets and are one of the worst offenders for exporting waste to developing countries, who are ill equipped to dispose of it in a socially and environmentally responsible way.”
Crude recycling techniques in the developing world, such as burning plastic from goods to harvest the valuable metals, exposes workers to toxic substances and carcinogens leading to health problems.
BBC Article (Feb 2020)
“E-waste from discarded electrical and electronic products is only part of the problem. A significant contributor to e-waste is the release of toxins from mining and manufacturing.”
“The rare earth elements being mined are currently crucial components in high-tech electronics, but they are hazardous to extract.”
Example of this is cobalt mining – cobalt is used in lithium-ion batteries. These batteries help power smartphones, laptops and electric vehicles.
Electric Vehicles – As more people are switching to electric or hybrid cars to be more environmentally friendly, this is leading to an increase for cobalt demands. Cobalt mining is an incredibly dangerous job, miners often undergo exploitation.
Environmental impacts of mining – toxic matter is released into the air, is polluting water ways leading to eutrophication, destroying ecosystem. Soil contamination – crop failure.
MASSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUE.
Article from the Guardian:
“Cobalt is essential to power the rechargeable lithium batteries used in millions of products sold by Apple, Google, Dell, Microsoft and Tesla every year. The insatiable demand for cobalt, driven by desire for cheap handheld technology, has tripled in the past five years and is expected to double again by the end of 2020. More than 60% of cobalt originates in DRC, one of the poorest and most unstable countries in the world.”
“The extraction of cobalt from DRC has been linked to human rights abuses, corruption, environmental destruction and child labour"
“The lawsuit argues that Apple, Google, Dell, Microsoft and Tesla all aided and abetted the mining companies that profited from the labour of children who were forced to work in dangerous conditions – conditions that ultimately led to death and serious injury.”
What can we do?
- Don’t upgrade or buy a new phone if you’re old one is still functioning. The same applies for all electronics. If it’s still functioning, even if not the ‘best’ version, keep it and don’t buy a new one!
- If something breaks, use free online videos to learn how to try to fix it.
Donate old devices to recycling centres with E Steward Certification (US based so just check UK).
- Give to friends or family, sell, take to charity shop.
- Sign Petitions - Hold Companies Accountable!
- If you need to purchase a new item, do research first!!!!!
- Look for those with a circular economic system – closed loop recycling system.
Positive Changes Are Happening!!
In 2017, Apple admitted that it had deliberately slowed down some models of the iPhone as they aged.
Customers had suspected this was to encourage people to upgrade, although Apple said it was to prolong the life of customers' devices. In 2018, the company introduced its Daisy robot, used to disassemble iPhones to recover and recycle minerals.
Daisy Robot in action:
In November 2019, owners of Sonos products criticised the speaker manufacturer for no longer issuing software updates for some of its older models. Affected customers were offered discounts on newer devices in return for recycling their existing product.
Investors are only looking at companies that are committed to helping create a cleaner global economy.
In October 2019, the EU adopted new Right to Repair standards, which means that from 2021 firms will have to make appliances longer-lasting, and will have to supply spare parts for machines for up to 10 years.
Good to know:
Around 80% of a phone is recyclable, so even if you have spare parts lying around, chances are they can be recycled.
Specifically, the following parts can be recycled:
- Batteries – Most gadget batteries are made from Lithium Ion and are recycled.
- Bezel – The bezel of a gadget refers to any metal, plastic or other materials covering the exterior that doesn’t include its glass screen. These can be very valuable to sell, but by recycling you are also doing your bit in helping to be more eco-friendly.
- PCB boards (main boards) – These are the parts of electronics that look like a maze of wires and metal buttons, and they can be re-used if the materials are effectively extracted.
- Memory chips – Any gadget with a memory chip has the potential to be valuable. When extracted, materials that can be yielded include mercury, lead, iron, silver and even gold.
If you are worrying about how to dispose of electronics safely in your local area, it is best to check your local council’s rules to find out what can be recycled, to avoid unintentionally recycling the wrong items. You can check this out via the Recycle Now Website, which gives you detailed information about what you should and shouldn’t do, as well as a list of the best places to dispose of your electronic goods nearest to your location.
Recycle now website links:
I hope this episode has encouraged you to think a bit more about your electrical devices and the dangerous role they can play in damaging the environment if we don’t educate ourselves on their production and on how to dispose of them safely.
As I said at the start of this episode, I don’t know much about this topic, but from what I’ve learned I think it’s really important we raise awareness about it, and try to make better choices with our purchasing and disposal of electrical devices.
If you have any info on this topic, or know anyone who does, I’d love to hear from you. And if you have any comments on the episodes or would like to get in touch you can find me on Instagram @alittlebitoflagom or send an email to alittlebitoflagom@gmail.com.
If you are enjoying the podcasts, and are in a position to support the podcast further, please check out the Ko-fi account, your support really helps by covering production costs to keep the podcast going.
Thank you! x
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