How Does Electronic Waste Affect the Environment: Things We Can’t Afford to Ignore

“Anything in excess is hazardous.” 

Though technology is turning towards good and people are promptly adopting the technological revolution, especially when it comes to electronic devices. Yet, we cannot afford to ignore the fact that rewards always come with responsibilities. 

The rapid increase in the consumption of electronic devices has been witnessed due to all the technological advancements, followed by the increase in the amount of e-waste generated as well. And the worst part hasn’t arrived yet. 

As per Statista, the e-waste generation worldwide in 2019 was 53.6M metric tons which took a jump and reached 59.4M metric tons in the year 2022 and are still projected to rise exponentially by 30% in 2030 (74.7M metric tons).

The figures are quite alarming. That’s why we are here to educate you on the negative effects of e-waste on the environment. This will help us move towards developing more sustainable practices. 

So, without any delay, let’s see how does electronic waste affect the environment.

Essentials About E-waste

Electronic waste, popularly named E-waste encompasses all electronic devices that have become obsolete or discarded due to the rapid pace of technological advancements, rendering them no longer useful.

This e-waste includes everything from old computers and cell phones to refrigerators, air conditioners, printers, scanners, cameras, medical equipment, and other household appliances. People tend to replace the older models when the new-advanced technology gets introduced in the market. Below is an example.

This is how the tech world evolves and the old electronic equipment starts becoming obsolete. But the matter of concern here is many of these devices contain toxic chemicals that can harm the environment and human health if not disposed of correctly. 

To throw some light on the growing environmental concerns because of e-waste generation as well as poor e-waste management, UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) partnered with Kenyan poet Beatrice Kariuki who created a short compelling video of environmental risks due to e-waste.

Why it is Important to Know the Environmental Effects Caused by E-waste?

Here are some of the electronic waste statistical evidence that say why we should focus on the rising environmental effects caused by e-waste.

1. The reports suggested by Global E-waste Monitor 2020 reflect that out of 53.6M metric tons of e-waste generated in 2019, only 9.3M metric tons i.e. 17% of it was recorded as being collected and recycled. 
2. Global E-waste Monitor also acknowledged the fact that E-waste, also named as electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world.
3. The United Nations (UN) warned that because of the ongoing consumer demand for digital devices, there will be time that will lead to a “tsunami of e-waste” if e-waste is not handled efficiently. 
4. Though amidst all these challenges coming in between, e-waste if handled appropriately, and with recycling methods if conducted sincerely, e-waste can offer an economic return worth over 62.5 Billion dollars every year.

The figures mentioned above clearly showed improper e-waste management, which is one of the leading concerns because of its hazardous impact on the environment as well as on human health. Moving further with the article, we will list below the negative environmental effects of e-waste and the urge of conducting electronics recycling effectively.

Environmental Impacts of Electronic Waste

Electrical and electronic waste releases toxic chemicals and hazardous substances into the environment, which are not biodegradable and can pollute soil, air, water, and other living things. 

Here are some of the ways where the rising e-waste disposal can significantly impact the environment. Have a look 

1. Soil and water contamination

When electronic waste is improperly disposed of it either goes into the landfills abruptly or is dumped illegally. Both of these are clearly not healthy environmental practices and cause potential harm to the underground water and soil. 

Electronic waste contains heavy metals and flame retardants which end up contaminating the underground water and the crops. When the soil and water get contaminated due to the presence of toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, lithium, barium, and cadmium, they become vulnerable to absorbing these toxins causing dangerous health hazards to mankind. 

Not just this, but the release of large and heavy particles from the burning, shredding, or dismantling of electronic waste gets quickly re-deposited into the groundwater and soil. And resultantly it starts adversely impacting the soil quality, leading to reduced plant growth, production of contaminated soil and potentially harming the ecosystem.

Water contains the major part of the planet Earth. Deposition of hazardous wastes into the water supplies like ponds, streams, and lakes causes severe acidification and toxification effects disturbing biodiversity. Acidification kills marine and freshwater organisms damaging the ecosystem where recovery is impossible.

2. Air pollution

Developing countries find it difficult to practice formal e-waste recycling procedures because of the costly operational expenses involved. Hence, they focus on practicing informal e-waste practices. 

Though informal e-waste recycling practices are successful in extracting valuable parts from e-waste, the way in which they are practiced or conducted causes harm to the workforce involved. The dismantling, shredding, or melting of materials involves the release of dust particles as well toxins such as dioxins into the air causing respiratory health issues to the surrounding mankind. 

Also,  for removing highly valuable raw materials like gold and silver, acids, desoldering, and other chemicals are used which release harmful fumes in areas resulting in severe respiratory and breathing issues. For getting copper from electronic devices, toxic e-waste materials are burned which releases fine particles that pollute the air and result in chronic diseases and cancers affecting human health badly.

The chronically polluted air results in damaging the water quality, soil, animal, and plant species. A real-life instance of this is scripted herewith:

3. Climate Change

E-waste disposal contributes to climate change because of the several chemical substances released into the air when burned. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) are the principal toxic chemical substances that get released when any of the E-waste is burned. 

PBDE and PBBs are used as flame retardants in televisions, computers, and other electronic devices. At the time of disposal of PBDE and PBB, when it is burnt it releases CO2 into the air. 

The release of CO2 contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and changes in climatic conditions, which ultimately give rise to human-generated global warming. Even the manufacturing of electronic devices releases a large amount of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Innovative Method to Streamline E-waste Management 

As said, responsible recycling of electronic waste and proper e-waste management should be focused effectively to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and resultantly minimize the environmental effects.

And to sincerely carry out these practices, you will be in need of innovative and modern methods of undergoing your daily operations relating to electronic waste management and recycling processes. 

One of the innovative methods is adopting e-waste collection route optimization software like Upper as a modern way of carrying out recycling and e-waste management activities.

Here’s why you should get assisted by Upper:

• With Upper, you can plan, and optimize multiple stops within a few clicks with leverage to adjust them as per your needs and preferences. 
• You can set the service time, time window, and preferential pickups based on urgency to satisfy your clientele’s needs.
• Maximize the number of waste collection pickups per route, per driver effectively reducing fuel consumption (by 40%) as well as transportation costs involved.
• Schedule the routes in advance and assign them to drivers ensuring that all your pickups get completed within the determined timelines.
• Swap the routes among the drivers, or reverse the routes entirely in case of any last-minute changes.
• Interchange the assigned stops among the drivers in the case when one is not available.
• Dispatch the routes in one-click no matter how many drivers you have.
• Get detailed insights on your waste collection business along with measuring individual drivers’ performance with an on-the-spot report generation feature.

Conclusion

Went through all the environmental effects?

Now it’s time to sincerely implement the steps towards mitigating these effects and adopt healthy sustainable practices along with adopting innovative methods for acquiring efficiency, effectiveness, and instant results. 

One such technological practice that can be adopted by waste management businesses or those who effectively handle e-waste is getting assisted with route planning and optimization software like Upper.

The route planner can help you plan, schedule and optimize your waste collection pickups within minutes, considering your driver preferences. On top of this, what if you even get to save transportation costs, fuel consumption, and carbon footprints? Awesome, right? Start your FREE trial today.