E-waste Management, a need

Chelyn Torejas

Do you have a new cell phone, the ones with internet access, mp3, radio, camera, and video camera? Or do you have the slimmest laptop in town? If yes, then, congratulations. You’ve got the latest gadgets.

“There is no question that the world has benefited immensely from the rapid developments in the electronics industry. But most people remain unaware of the negative health and environmental impacts associated with the disposal of electronic products,” Beau Baconguis, Greenpeace Toxics Campaigner in Manila said in a report.

PCs, Stereos, VCRs and fax machines among other electronics seem so proficient and user-friendly, but many remain unaware of the dangers it may bring once they become e-waste.

Electronic waste (e-waste), or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) covers all discarded and unwanted computers, mobile phones and electronic appliances which are immensely becoming a growing problem to the country.

The situation has posed both environmental and physical risks. Unwanted electrical appliances if improperly dispose contain biodegradable and toxin-producing substances. Computers’ Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) can cause human nervous and respiratory impairment. While flame retardant plastics used in electronic casings can discharge elements that can cause human endocrine break down.

Corporations are very active in the production and promotion of various electronic gadgets. However, environmentalists and nature advocates have raised concerns towards companies, which refuse to face environmental concerns.

For the meantime, companies like Samsung, Nokia, Sony, Ericson, LG and Motorola have made commitments to substitute hazardous substances with safer alternatives.

The state of California and some European countries have already enacted electronic waste management. But the Philippines’ unrestricted regulation regarding e-waste management has exposed unfortunate communities and workers towards toxic chemicals including lead, cadmium and mercury, which if improperly recycled could contaminate landfills and eventually pollute the country’s land, water and air resources

Greenpeace and other advocates have demanded electronic corporations to develop durable technology that can be upgraded, recycled and disposed properly. A number of both profit-oriented and non-profit organizations are also accepting and taking electronics for recycling.

As environmental advocates projected, the country’s growing e-waste problem can be regulated through a universal mantra: waste management and recycling. Regardless of whether mandated or not mandated by the law, positive actions should be done to control the e-waste predicament.

So, Do you still want to throw the old ones? Think twice.