The Global Problem of Electronic Waste
- 14 years ago
Brad Roderick, executive vice president of InkCycle, discusses the problems with electronic waste, a global issue.
Most people are aware that virtually every major city in the United States has closed landfills because they're at capacity. The problem is even worse with electronic waste, or e-waste. In less scrupulous environments, e-waste is typically sold and bought by the pound and goes offshore. There are provinces and regions where their entire economy is based on e-waste.
What happens with this e-waste when it is sold and bought? The components of value, such as gold in electronic circuitry are extracted. These e-waste components are extracted by burning off the rest of the material creating toxic fumes. The remaining material ends up bing burned and stockpiled in areas. In Hong Kong, there are days when you can't even breathe outside because of the poor air quality.
Electronic waste is growing and not just as a problem, but it is growing in terms of total units.
Most people are aware that virtually every major city in the United States has closed landfills because they're at capacity. The problem is even worse with electronic waste, or e-waste. In less scrupulous environments, e-waste is typically sold and bought by the pound and goes offshore. There are provinces and regions where their entire economy is based on e-waste.
What happens with this e-waste when it is sold and bought? The components of value, such as gold in electronic circuitry are extracted. These e-waste components are extracted by burning off the rest of the material creating toxic fumes. The remaining material ends up bing burned and stockpiled in areas. In Hong Kong, there are days when you can't even breathe outside because of the poor air quality.
Electronic waste is growing and not just as a problem, but it is growing in terms of total units.