E-waste. Recycling and management

 "The only ton of waste that doesn't have an impact is the ton that you don't generate". Michael Van Brunt of Covanta Co.

E-waste is becoming an increasing problem all over the world with its high volume produced, and often wasted, using precious metals in the production process. One of the major issue with the e-waste is lack of formal recycling facilities. Most of the informal e-waste recycling involve manual dismantling and metal recovery by people in poorer parts of the world. 

What is E-waste? 

Electronic waste (E-waste) is a term that covers items of all types of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and its parts that have been discarded by the owner as waste without intention of re-use. E-waste contains up to 60 metals including copper, gold, silver, palladium and platinum and the recovery of these materials could reduce the global demand for new metals.  

There are six distinctive categories of e-waste:

1. Temperature exchange equipment (refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, heat pumps)
2. Screen and monitors
3. Lamps
4. Large equipment (washing machines, clothes dryers, electric stoves large printing machines, photovoltaic panels)
5. Small equipment (vacuum cleaners, toasters, radio, kettles, camera, electronic toys, medical devises)
6. Small IT and telecommunication equipment (mobile phones, GPS, routers, calculators, personal computers, telephones)
   

Currently, the e-waste is managed globally through:

• local dumping, practiced in large part of the worlds, involves e-waste going to landfill
• export and dump, practiced by more developed countries which export their e-waste to poorer parts of the world
• low-level recovery which is most seen in developing countries. This generates jobs, saves energy and raw materials
• high-level recovery has benefits of low-level recovery and it also prevents illegal export to developing countries. 

There are three main benefits of proper e-waste recycling. First is economic benefit, as recycling of valuable materials (e.g. metals in printer circuit boards) provides opportunity for recovery of scarce natural elements. Recycling facilities also create additional jobs. Second benefit relates to environment as recycling plays a key role in keeping hazardous waste out of the landfills. Recycling also reduces the demand for new metal production which helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Finally, recycling of e-waste brings public health and safety benefit. Hazardous materials found in e-waste have negative and often harmful impact on human health, especially of those involved in manual dismantling in developing countries. 

With an increased volume of e-waste manufactured, there is a need for a better approach to its management and recycling. Investment in technology and new facilities, to increase and improve e-waste recycling is needed, as well as better legislation to improve e-waste collection and to maximise its recycling potential.