Our E-Waste Problem By Christina Bonnington

337 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: E waste problems and solutions

“Our E-Waste Problem is Ridiculous and Gadget Makers Aren’t Helping” written by Christina Bonnington focus on what dangerous and damaging affects e-waste has on the environment caused by gadget makers. Accordingly over forty million tons of the electronic devices, where a great fraction of the waste ending up in the landfills. For this reason, many of the chemicals in the electronics eventually seeps in the water supply. Although, it is not assume instantly as horrific, numerous chemicals in these devices are hazardous such as mercy, lead, and arsenic. This means the toxic chemicals are putting people and the landscape in danger. Meanwhile, damaged batteries that are in the electronics could cause an explosion, putting worker at risk whom remove

Show More
Related

  • The Pros And Cons Of E-Waste

    1013 Words  | 3 Pages

    Capitalism in its purest form is all about maximizing profit at whatever the cost to the workers, economy or environment. In this light capitalism can be viewed as a double-edged sword, in which a company in a capitalistic economy will avoid extra cost at any chance possible even if that means the illegal disposal of harmful secondhand electronics avoiding all the rules and regulations that would make disposal cost extra called E-Waste, to impoverished countries such as China and Ghana. But this in turn hurts the very people that make the system work, which is the second contradiction of capitalism; with the improper disposal of waste that in turns make the workers sick, they then work less or potentially die, but a workers death in underdeveloped countries will have less of an affect on the economy “Because wage structures are lowest in less developed countries, pollution would mean fewer losses in earnings due to morbidity and mortality” (Robbins et al. 2010, 97). And the prime example of the damage that E-waste is causing is in Guiyu, China where irreversible damage has been done to the entire community because of failure to properly dispose of electronics by countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia has led to a surplus of harmful obsolete electronics that have flooded underdeveloped countries all in the name of saving money and avoiding the regulations set about by the U.S. government.

    Read More

  • Alex Lin Research Paper

    363 Words  | 1 Pages

    Have you ever heard of Alex Lin? Alex Lin is a teen activist that is definitely doing his part to save the world from electronic waste. This paper will discuss what electronic waste is, who Alex Lin is, and how Alex Lin found out about electronic waste.

    Read More

  • Starfish Prime - Theory or Threat

    2065 Words  | 5 Pages

    The United States, as well as the world, is more and more dependent on electronics. Everything around us runs on electricity; from the cars we drive, our dependency on mobile electronics we use, all the way down to the cappuccino machines that make our favorite beverages. We love our electronics. Last year alone “retail sales of consumer electronics fell just short of $1 trillion in 2011,” reports John Laposky of TWICE magazine, and those sales “are predicted to hit $1.04 trillion in 201...

    Read More

  • Consumable Products In Landfills

    978 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many consumable goods contain substances that can pollute the environment after they are discarded. When these items are buried in landfills, chemicals can seep into the soil and contaminate underground water sources. When they are burned in incinerators, they can release harmful pollutants into the air.

    Read More

  • Technology Is Ruining Society

    785 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... but the personal relationships they could form at home or at work are ruined because of the surplus hours individuals spend with their electronics.

    Read More

  • Herndl Sustainability

    1170 Words  | 3 Pages

    Chemicals have harmed everyone tremendously over the years. During 2007-2010 there was a huge epidemic of toys that were created with very toxic chemicals. Sometimes we don’t realized or care enough about the amount of damage we to the environment until it hurts the people we value the most for example family and friends. If we had sustainability in our society before this epidemic than we wouldn’t have had these problems with the process of creating safe toys for children. Many lives have been lost or changed

    Read More

  • Electronic Waste Essay

    579 Words  | 2 Pages

    E- waste contains many heavy metals which are highly dangerous to human health. These include cadmium, chromium, mercury and lead. Cadmium is known to cause kidney and liver dysfunction, hypertension, pulmonary edema and immune depression. Furthermore, cadmium has been identified as a potential carcinogen. Chromium can penetrate membranes with ease and cause allergic reactions as well as harm DNA. In addition, all chromium compounds are possibly carcinogenic. Mercury and its compounds are extremely toxic as they can quickly circulate in the bloods...

    Read More

  • Hazardous Waste Affecting Our Community

    1211 Words  | 3 Pages

    Each year, five hundred thirty thousand tons of hazardous waste are disposed of in the United States alone. Most houses, with an average of four people, produce about twenty pounds of this waste (Solid). Hazardous waste is special because it is harmful and very dangerous. It is deemed hazardous if it contains one or more carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic compounds. This means that they are either cancer causing, capable of damaging our DNA, or can interfere with human fetal development. They are either flammable, may explode, may release toxic fumes, or may break down metal containers that would hold normal waste (Garbage). It is illegal to dispose of hazardous waste incorrectly, however, many humans do regardless. Batteries, e-waste from old computers and electronics, cleaners, solvents, antifreeze, oil-based paints, and thinners are examples of household hazardous waste that is often disposed improperly (Garbage).There are governmental regulations that work to prevent improper disposal and encourage the cleanup of improperly disposed waste. The EPA has the power to manage hazardous waste and how it is disposed of including superfund sites. A Superfund site is a declared site that has been used as a hazardous waste disposal area, and has high toxicity levels. Within the superfund, there is the NPL, the National Priorities list, that has the most toxic sites, lots of times located in family neighborhoods and communities. The main reason for the NPL is to cleanup the most dangerous cases as soon as possible, but why? Hazardous waste must be controlled because it is impacting our communities’ health, economies, and quality of life.

    Read More

  • The Importance of Recycling to Our Health and Environment

    1175 Words  | 3 Pages

    In old batteries, there is a toxic lead that is causing health problems for the Taiwan people who are disposing these batteries (Gay, 12). Space is becoming a landfill from the excess of space flights and the radioactive supplies from nuclear reactors, which could come to our atmosphere and explode (Gay, 13). When businesses run out of space to dump their toxic trash they go to poor nations because they do not have strict safety regulations (Gay, 31). The landfills on Earth are not the only place trash is getting put. The ocean is being trashed with plastic bags, soda can holders, and large fishnets, which are harming dolphins, turtles, sea lions, and others (Gay, 69). Military bases in the U.S have more hazardous waste and are responsible for contamination in soil and waters (Gay, 83). There are other hazards happening because we are throwing away so much stuff that companies have to remake all of those products. Incinerators are places where waste is burned to ashes and if we recycle these can go away. Incinerators cause sulfur dioxide, carbon m...

    Read More

  • E-Waste Recycling Program

    971 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...es in the world have an e-Stewards label on their products, where is visible to consumers as well as locations where people can recycle their e-waste. One possible way is that I think in the future, scientist should come up with a new way to make electronics equipments that contains less chemical substances.

    Read More

  • Waste Prevention

    2111 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...the coffee shop instead of getting a disposable cup there. Buy rechargeable toner cartridges so that they can be reused and use papers that has already been printed on one side in your printer and copy machine. Donate old clothes and miscellaneous items to a shelter or charity instead of throwing them away. Donate unwanted equipment, furniture, and supplies to nonprofit organizations or schools. Have a garage sale. Repair, refurbishes, and sells or donate used furniture. Support construction from reused building materials and deconstruction/reuse, rather than demolition. (Region 9, 2002)

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Gadgets

    1197 Words  | 3 Pages

    They may or may not produce when they are throwing their old devices and buying a new replacement along with that not many people know what toxins are even produced from their gadgets. Toxins that are found in electronics are: “lead, mercury, found in monitors or televisions; polyvinyl chloride, found in computer housing and cables; cadmium, found in resistors and batteries; hexavalent chromium, found in steel housing; polybrominated diphenyl ethers, found in plastic covers, cables, and flame retardants in printed circuit boards” (Seeberger 8). Toxins are found in everyday electronics like: monitors, televisions, computers, cables, batteries, and plastics from the electronics. The harsh chemicals released from the everyday used electronics are: lead, mercury, polyvinyl chloride, hexavalent chromium, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers. Other than all the toxins released from the old electronics,“a handful of Advocates worry about a “regulatory vacuum” stimulate the flow to one-way, out dated electronics to the countries of India, Africa, and Asia. Activist believe 50 to 80 percent of the 300,000 to 400,000 tons of waste collected through recycling in North America alone is transported overseas (Smith 1). Along with all the other countries and continents in the world, The United States creates the most e-waste in the world (McAllister 1). Overall, the way people are dealing

    Read More

  • Electronic Waste Essay

    831 Words  | 2 Pages

    Electronic Waste is the disposal of any kind of technology which ultimately produces hazardous radiation that is lethal both for the environment and to people who expose themselves to this waste. Since 1992 worldwide society has been becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of Electronic Waste. People are throwing away so much because manufacturers of phones, computers, laptops, televisions and ipods are making and constantly updating technology as there is such a large demanding consumerist society and businesses that have an unceasing amount of money to make. People buy and discard so much so often to have the newest and the best technology has to offer - which leaves the issue of Electronic Waste.

    Read More

  • Smartphones Are Dumb People Essay

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    Every day of our lives, we watch as technology advances in leaps and bounds, so it was only logical when the cell phone came into existence, it would also be necessary to develop ways for a phone to be more than just a phone. With the explosion of the internet age people needed a way to bring their computers on the go, one that could fit in the palm of their hand. Whether it be checking emails, updating social networks or even playing games, smartphones seem to do it all. There is, however, a dark side to every technological advance that is made, to everything that makes our lives more convenient. Smartphones are not only an enormous distraction in our lives but are also known to cause health problems in those

    Read More

  • Recycling: Save Planet Earth

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    Preserving the environment is very important. One way that would be possible is by recycling. Recycling is the recovery and reprocessing of waste materials for use in new products. There are important environmental and economic benefits connected with recycling. Common materials that are recycled consist of aluminum cans, glass, paper, wood, and plastic (“Recycling”). Cleveland, Ohio joined the ranks of requiring recycling and also fines the homeowners for not disposing of waste correctly or leaving cans out too early or too long (McElroy 1). Michele McCay says that recycling is one of the easiest, most tangible ways of taking action for the planet (par. 1). If that is the case, why is it not required in all states? Recycling should be mandatory because it saves natural resources, it conserves energy, and it reduces pollution.

    Read More

More about Our E-Waste Problem By Christina Bonnington

Open Document