INTRODUCTION Toxic waste colonialism refers to the practice of exporting hazardous waste from developed countries to underdeveloped ones for disposal. It is the practice of developed nations who rid themselves of toxic or hazardous waste by shipping it to less developed areas of the world. The affected communities typically lack the resources, knowledge, political organization, or capital to resist the practice. There is a difference between toxic colonialism and environmental racism. Environmental racism is the inequitable distribution of environmental hazards based on race. Toxic colonialism can be seen as micro as it focuses on a specific area or group of people. Environmental racism can be seen as macro, examining the issue on a larger, Only 12.5% of E-Waste is recycled. 85% of E-Waste are sent to landfills and incinerators are mostly burned, and release harmful toxins in the air. Electronics contain lead which can damage our central nervous system and kidneys. E-waste contains hundreds of substances, of which many are toxic. This includes mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, selenium, chromium, and flame retardants. 80% of E-Waste in the US and most of other countries are transported to Asia. 300 million computers and 1 billion cell phones go into production annually. It is expected to grow by 8% per year. Cell phones and other electronic devices contain precious metals like gold and silver. The US alone throws away cell phones with $60 million worth of gold/silver yearly. Recycling 1 million laptops saves energy equivalent to the energy used by 3600 homes in the US annually. Most of the components of E-Waste are electronic equipment that can be re-used and recycled for materials recovery. REASONS FOR INCREASE 1. It requires low skilled labors which results in increase in employment opportunities in developing countries. 2. Complying with the environmental regulation in the waste producing country increases the cost of A large number of loop holes in the export and import policies of the developing countries. All these transactions related to toxic waste take place under the table and hence has no impact over the foreign exchange or Balance of Payments of such countries. 5. Rapid increase in the amount of e-waste, and materials like mercury are removed from the waste sludge for reuse which is used as a raw material for making other gadgets. NEGATIVE IMPACTS 1. Unusual health problems including acute respiratory infections, heavy dry coughing, mouth bleeding, abdominal hemorrhage, chemical skin reaction. 2. Contamination of the environment where the waste is exported. It affects the soil, water as well as the air around it. 3. Most of the workers employed in extraction of important materials from this waste is young labour. 4. Workers on e-waste sites are paid an average of $1.50 per day. They are unprotected while working with the toxic substances on the site. They are the first to inhale the toxins that are released in the air when electronic parts are
The piece of legislation that is responsible for enforcing and regulating the production of hazardous waste, its type of management and disposal methods is known as The Hazardous Waste (England and Wales)Regulations 2005. According to The Hazardous Waste (England and Wales)Regulations 2005 part 1 of the legislation it states in article 4 of the waste directive is that the waste must be disposed of in a way that doesn’t harm human health or resorting to ways which would degrade the environment such as the surrounding surface such as soil, the natural flora in the area and the local fauna of the surrounding environment.
Electronic waste, or any waste for that matter is an inevitable part of an economic system where the destruction of an ecosystem is the primarily source of resources that are used to create the product. The waste that occurs from this process has to be disposed of in some way and more often than not, it is disposed of carelessly with out consideration to the affect it would have on the environment or the very people that create and let capitalism live on, “The political economy approach also defers progress on environmental issues to a pint after economic ones are solved” (Robbins et al. 2010, 114). And if this continues there may be no place left for the excess waste created by capitalism.
“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
Daily consumers are confronted with advertising campaigns trying to lure their slightly used electronic devices into retirement by being swayed into upgrading to the most recent model. A 2007 study conduct in the United States revealed “500 million used cell phones that are stockpiled in closets and drawers will eventually end up in landfills as electronic waste (E-Waste).” As E-Waste continues to spread across the globe it is growing faster than leaves can grow on trees and it is posing a threat to human health and the environment (E-Cycle).” Consumers recycling cell phones to reuse materials is environmentally and socially beneficial in reducing E-Waste.
properly carried out there is possibility of toxic material entering the stream of SOLID WASTE.
Waste management is the operation of how waste materials are handled. The affair of waste management is relevant to everyone world-wide. Wastes are materials that have no further economic use, and when disposed of, are hazardous to humans and the environment. Wastes include solid waste, liquid wastes, and air pollutants created by humans and cannot be naturally recycled. Current waste management techniques need to be completely overhauled because funding in government budget is not enough to meet standards, landfills are reaching their maximum capacity worldwide, and nuclear waste storage must be handled correctly. Waste management has been a highly thought about complication for global authorities. Due to
In addition, individuals dispose off their electronic waste wrongly, and it ends up in the incinerators, where toxic gases are produced.
environment. How is the waste affecting us? Otis L. Graham used secondary sources in making
The article “Our E-Waste Problem Is Ridiculous, and Gadget Makers Aren’t Helping” by Christina Bonnington explains that our landfills are being filled with unused electronics of yesteryear. In 2011, there were 41.5 million tons of electronic wastes in landfills. In 2016, they projected the number to go up to 93.5 million tons. Specifically, our old products are in landfills now such as, HP computers, computer towers, cell phones, and batteries. The reason for all the waste is the human race is buying the newest electronics and not disposing of their unused and unwanted electronics properly. Also, not all of the unused electronics are recyclable. E-waste has a huge negative effect while in landfills because electronics breakdown and they breakdown
When it comes to the seven wastes overproduction is said to be the leading waste. In it's most simplest terms, overproduction is the act of manufacturing or producing an item or product before it is really necessary. When it comes to manufacturing one might think that producing inventory ahead of time would save time and money but in fact the opposite is true. It is said that overproduction is deadliest of the seven deadly wastes because it contributes or recreates a ripple effect on to th...
To mitigate environmental impacts of waste including the water quality near the dumping sites and greenhouse gas emissions i.e. methane.
I. Significant amounts of waste is generated in society and that waste has a detrimental effect on society,
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
Therefore, many countries in the developed world have adopted recycling policies for disposal Of waste. The benefits of the recycling process include the following. Maintaining the cleanliness of the environment in the first place from the damage of burying and burning the waste or leaving it exposed Reduce the pollution of sea, ocean and river waters from dumping solid waste, threaten marine life, and reduce groundwater pollution from the waste of
Traditional methods of waste disposal have proven to be ineffective and have caused harmful effects on the environment. The most popular and inexpensive way to get rid of garbage is burial, but burying your problems does not necessarily mean getting rid of them. Landfill sites pose as severe ecological threats as these mass garbage dump yards overflow with trash and frequently contaminate our air, soil and water with hazardous wastes. About 400 million tons of hazardous wastes are generated each year1. A large-scale release of these materials can cause thousands of deaths and may poison the environment for many years. For example many industrial companies around the world cannot afford to enforce the strict pollution regulations set by many developed countries. This usually forces these types of companies to move to developing countries where pollution regulations are very lenient. These developing countries knowingly accept environmentally hazardous companies usually because they are in desperate need of employment. The harmful effects of these companies were clearly illustrated in the 1960s and 1970s when residents living near Minamata Bay, Japan, developed nervous disorders, tremors, and paralysis in a mysterious epidemic. The root was later found to be a local industry that had released mercury, a highly toxic element, into Minamata Bay. The disaster had claimed the lives of 400 people1. Since 1970 you can bet that a lot more than 400 people have died as a result of waste disposal. If the type of waste disposal were cheaper and effective we wouldn’t have to deal with waste problems, which still plague mankind today.