E - WASTE: A hidden threat to development

WASTE STREAM: E-waste includes all electronic and electrical products nearing the end of their useful life. This is has been identified as the fastest growing waste stream in the world, forecast to soon reach 40 million tonnes a year which will be enough to fill a line of tip trucks stretching halfway around the world.

It is generated at three times the rate of the general municipal waste. Examples: CD players, radio, fans, fluorescent tubes, keyboards, mouses, phones, medical equipment, television, transformers and switch boards.

There are several bad effects of E-waste. Health and environmental damage -E-waste contains many hazardous and toxic materials. Substances include Lead, Mercury, Beryllium, Cadmium, Lithium, Bromine, Phosphorous, Antimony and Barium. In land fill this releases those substances into surrounding water and soil systems causing problems, which eventually leads to health and environmental hazards.

Loss of resources - When E-waste ends up in landfill valuable materials and non-renewable resources such as metal, plastic, glass, gold and copper buried and lost forever, leaving us with the option of mining the earth for new resources. Damage caused overseas and dumped on developing countries - More than 50% of computers globally are sent to developing countries either whole or disassembled form.

On arrival they are processed and disposed of a manner that cause damage to workers and local environment.

In a nutshell - E-waste is the fastest growing waste. It takes over 4 litres of liquid petroleum to manufacture a typical all in one toner and majority of plastics used in high tech electronics are made from fossil fuels. A 2 grams microchip can generate almost 26 kg of contaminated waste.

The manufacture, use and disposal of electrical and electronic equipment purchased by Australia is estimated to generate over 42 million tonnes of green house gases per year, Sri-Lanka may be in the range over 1 million tonnes per year.

What to do - Recycle E-waste in responsible manner which will have benefits such as, reduces the toxins that enter the environment, saves land fill spaces, reduce green house gas emissions, using recycled materials such as copper requires 15-20% of the amount of energy required to mine new ore. Finally improve human well-being.

Wiji Senadeera, School of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, Australia.