E-waste has become an ever-growing problem in the world of today. Why? Because it is not biodegradable. Sure, you can still dump your electronic waste in the landfills, but you cannot really get rid of it without leaving hazardous effects on the environment. The future of e-waste has thus become a hot topic which requires our attention.
According to research, e-waste constitutes 70% of the world’s overall toxic waste. This electronic waste is usually sent to incinerators or landfills where it gets burned and releases harmful substances in the atmosphere.
However, advancement in science and technology has enabled businesses to prevent this from happening. In fact, e-waste generation highlights the golden opportunity for making a shift to long-overdue circular economy initiatives.
In this blog, we’ll deep dive into the future of e-waste: what it holds for us and how we can shape it.
A surge in e-waste generation
With the spread of technology and shorter product lifecycles, there has been a substantial increase in e-waste generation around the world. As we keep on changing gadgets, the pile of discarded equipment gets bigger and bigger.
This naturally raises concerns about environmental sustainability and compels world bodies to keep an eye out for e-waste trends and craft actionable strategies for e-waste management.
Low recycling rates
Unfortunately, the overall rate of electronic waste recycling is currently low in the world. Even the European Union, which is at the vanguard of this drive, collects and properly recycles only 35% of its e-waste.
There are various reasons for this rather slow march toward environmental sustainability. First and foremost, consumers are often confused about how to handle different streams of electronic waste. Processing some of the gadgets can also be expensive – another challenge.
Additionally, owners worry about data security and often think twice before giving away their IT equipment for collection and recycling. So, what is the future of e-waste?
One can expect the pace to remain steady for a while as the global community becomes more and more aware of the phenomenon. Nonetheless, a lack of knowledge does not mean that recycling of e-waste does not have the potential to secure economic sustainability.
A change in tide is inextricably linked with the future of e-waste awareness and education. The onus is now on the national governments, environmental lobbyists, and the recycling services providers to educate the masses on the importance and benefits of e-waste management.
Future implications of e-waste on human health
The discarded e-waste can release a variety of harmful substances in the environment which can potentially affect and endanger the health of people breathing the same air. Some commonly released toxins are:
- Lead
- Mercury
- Brominated flame retardants
- Nickel
- Chromium
- Cadmium
If expecting mothers get exposed to the above-mentioned substances, negative birth outcomes may result in the form of premature and stillbirths.
The pollutants can also adversely influence the physiological health and cognitive abilities of the child, resulting in Attention Deficit Hyper-Activity Disorder (ADHD), respiratory problems, and DNA damage.
Prolonged exposure can damage lungs of adults and increase the risk for developing chronic conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular issues.
Stricter regulations
Governments around the world are introducing stricter legislations to prevent the rapid degradation of the environment. Many countries have passed Bills that put the responsibility of proper waste disposal on the manufacturers, while others have set the margin to define the standards for carrying out efficient waste disposal.
For instance, WEEE Regulations in the UK, which aligns with the EU WEEE Directive, requires producers and distributors of electrical and electronic equipment to take responsibility for the collection, treatment, and recycling of e-waste. It not only sets targets for recycling rates, but also establishes obligations for producers to finance the management of e-waste.
Such developments bode well for the future of e-waste as they will make consumers conscious of the impacts of e-waste and urge them to actively explore recycling options for their end-of-life electronics.
Circular Economy – The Silver Lining
According to a report by the World Economic Forum, a circular economy where everything is recycled and reused instead of being wasted can be highly beneficial for the world economies.
This is so because then there is reduced need for extraction of limited resources and manufacturing of knowledge-intensive equipment. As less waste gets dumped in the landfills, there will be less air and land pollution.
Not to mention, electronic waste contains the richest deposits of valuable materials. By getting e-waste recycled, companies can contribute to eco-friendly repurposing of useful products. The future of e-waste thus lies in how quickly we adopt the linear economy initiatives.
Future challenges in e-waste disposal
High e-waste growth projections
By 2030, the e-waste industry is expected to expand to 75 million tons from 50 million tons. What this may entail is the massive piles of cast-off electronic equipment that can be hard to dispose of.
As mentioned earlier, dismantling, shredding, and landfills are not enough to protect the planet from the nefarious impacts of e-waste. Besides causing health problems, improper disposal can severely affect the quality of land, water, and air.
Lack of proper e-waste management infrastructure
A robust and accessible infrastructure for e-waste management is crucial for effectively tackling the e-waste problem. However, in many regions, there is a lack of adequate recycling infrastructure to handle the mounting e-waste problem effectively.
Therefore, there is a need to invest in e-waste management infrastructure to ensure that electronic devices reach the right channels for responsible recycling and prevent them from ending up illegally in landfills.
Confusing product complexity
E-waste comes in multiple forms, and leveraging its true potential demands processing the waste through the following stages:
- Dismantling equipment to separate its components
- Crushing or shredding the components
- Segregating useful parts
- Categorising the extracted valuables
All of this tends to be time and resource intensive. However, contacting a professional computer recycling and disposal services provider can make things significantly easier for you.
Process inefficiency
E-waste generation will continue to rise as long as the production of consumer electronics keeps on increasing. In such a scenario, it is crucial that recycling processes be made budget-friendly and easily accessible.
There is a need to invest in efficient recycling technology which will decrease the cost of the overall services. In this way, we can match the demand and ensure that the future of e-waste is predictable.
Future trends in e-waste reduction
Following are the latest trends in e-waste reduction that have been making waves on the global landscape.
Extended product responsibility
Governments and regulatory bodies worldwide are implementing EPR programs which hold manufacturers responsible for the entire life cycle of their products. This includes proper e-waste management as well. Manufacturers out there! Brace yourself.
The good news is that this initiative will encourage manufacturers to design products that are easier to recycle and can be repurposed readily.
Sustainable technology
The thing is you need technology to transform the old technology. Ironic, right?
Therefore, innovations in e-waste recycling technologies are emerging to address the complex challenges posed by electronic waste management. Sustainable technologies aim to recover valuable materials from electronic devices while minimizing the environmental footprint and decreasing energy consumption.
Tracking and management
This is the best part. Advanced tools are being developed which will enable you to track the lifecycle of your e-waste. Now you can stay up to date on the identification, collection, and disposal of discarded waste.
What can you achieve through this? Well, to begin with, increased accountability, improved compliances with regulatory measures, and efficiency.
How to begin?
Whether it’s household or workplace recycling, you can always seek professional services from a local provider who will be responsible for auditing, collecting, recycling, and disposing of your old electrical equipment.
You can contact a local Computer IT Waste unit in your area to set the ball rolling for responsible e-waste management. Remember, we will collectively shape the future of e-waste with our choices and decisions.
Final thoughts
While e-waste disposal is becoming a public health and environmental concern, it is also leading us to new opportunities. Predictions and forecasts suggest that we take timely measures to curb its fast-growing generation levels to ensure that they don’t reach an alarming level.
If you are in search of a reliable and trustworthy recycling partner, you can reach out to our team and get the perfect plan for e-waste management.