Top Three Challenges of E-waste Management.
It is natural to have more and more e-waste the way we are upgrading the technology with each passing day. Development is inevitable, and so does the waste from it. But every development comes with a responsibility. What are we doing to manage the biggest concern of the time; E-waste?
The electronic device gets quickly replaced with newer ones due to the rapid technological advancements and production of newer electronic devices. This has led to an exponential increase in e-waste generation. People tend to switch from one device to another, which leads to a greater increase in the amount of e-waste.
Here in this article, we will be discussing the key challenges and opportunities of e-waste. The growing concern drives us to share with you all and make people aware of it. Let’s get started now!
Global E-Waste Challenges management:
The current practices of e-waste management in India encounters many challenges, but the top three challenges are;
👉 Ineffective practices and regulations
👉 Poor and unsafe conditions of informal recycling
👉 Lack of awareness of consumers
1. Ineffective practices and regulations:
Ineffective practices and regulations include the involvement of the informal sector. Normally we see e-waste dumping areas outside or near slum areas. Not having proper dumping zones leads to a rise in informal practices like children and women engaging in scorching useful or resalable items from the dumps. Furthermore, they sell it in the market to sustain their life.
Involvement of children and women in these practices also affects their health, such as; blood infection, kidney failure, heart damage, etc. But what could be the solution? With our knowledge and expertise in this field, we would like to suggest:
👉 Proper e-waste dumping zones under legal guidelines.
👉 Working in damp fields only after taking proper precautions and training.
👉 Spreading awareness and halt the firms involved in informal practices.
👉 Effective policy under proper management.
👉 Involvement of e-waste knowledge in education also.
2. Poor and unsafe conditions of informal recycling:
As discussed above, how informal means give rise to health issues and dangerous ramifications. Hence, these involve many other risks as well. While recycling e-waste informally, it pollutes the environment, and affects;
👉 Air-burning e-waste releases toxic emissions in the air, contaminating the air.
👉 Water — remaining waste that stays in the soil mixes with groundwater and leads to many health problems.
👉 Soil — it contaminates the soil due to heavy metals like; lead, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, indium, lead, mercury, nickel, etc.
👉 Marine life — when it spoils the water, the lives under it also get affected, affecting the fishing activities and fisheries.
👉 Animals — are also part of our environment; when our environment gets affected, they also face the effects.
👉 Foods — accumulation of toxins in the air, water and soil also spoils the nutrition of the food.
And there are many other side effects of it. The list is too long to address.
3. Lack of awareness of consumers:
Another greater concern is that we shift from one device to another without thinking of what we would do with the old one due to a lack of awareness. Hence, here comes the consumer’s responsibility. And the responsibilities include;
👉 Sell or donate the old and used electronics with proper proof of it.
👉 Maintains electronics properly to expand its life.
👉Hand to the recycling company and dispose of them properly, as per the given instructions on the particular device.
👉Store data online to clear storage space and increase the life of the device.
You can purchase eco-friendly electrical equipment.
👉Before purchasing a new device, consider repurposing the old one.
Considering these suggested points can help to reduce environmental pollution and protect our future generation.
Conclusion:
In our conclusion, we suggest following the mentioned solutions above to avoid any such e-waste-related health and environmental issues. Although, we are always here to enhance your knowledge of e-waste by bringing new articles.
To know more about e-waste-related issues that we have addressed, check out our official website and get in touch concerning e-waste recycling, call us at — +91–9910288223.
