India became the electronic waste dump of the world and it is a huge problem.
Not everyone knows that our electronics are stuffed with dangerous materials and when we dump our electronics it ends up in a third world country.
In India, it became a huge problem, and for the past 10 years, politicians are talking about solutions.
A few months ago, they had an “E-Waste Conference”.
https://www.recycling-magazine.com/event/india-international-e-waste-2019/The condition in which our electronics are recycled is killing people. Imagine kids burning boards to take out components. Now imagine hundreds of kids doing the same thing.
Well… welcome to the rooftops of India.
We have to take responsibility. Some Startups try to find solutions. But let’s be honest, the model has to change. I know I am not proposing a solution, but it all starts with awareness.
I am including the YouTube video of one of those startups just to feel that I did something for them, but the truth is that something in the process or recycling is very wrong.
So please. Talk about it. Bring ideas. And lets fight this.
The Image on top is by George Hotelling from Canton, MI, United States (E-waste recycling in Ann Arbor)
Some of the list of components that are clearly dangerous from GreenPeace website:
- Some brominated flame retardants, used in circuit boards and plastic casings, do not break down easily and build up in the environment. Long-term exposure can lead to impaired learning and memory functions. They can also interfere with thyroid and estrogen hormone systems. Exposure in the womb has been linked to behavioural problems.
- The cathode ray tubes (CRT) in monitors sold worldwide contain tens of thousands of tonnes of lead. Exposure to lead can cause intellectual impairment in children and can damage the nervous, blood and reproductive systems in adults.
- Cadmium, used in rechargeable computer batteries, contacts and switches and in older CRTs, can bioaccumulate in the environment and is highly toxic, primarily affecting the kidneys and bones.
- Mercury, used in lighting devices for flat-screen displays, can damage the brain and central nervous system, particularly during early development.
- Compounds of hexavalent chromium, used in the production of metal housings, are highly toxic and carcinogenic to people.
- Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a chlorinated plastic used in some electronics products and for insulation on wires and cables. Chlorinated dioxins and furans are released when PVC is produced or disposed of by incineration (or simply burning). These chemicals are highly persistent in the environment and many are toxic even in very low concentrations.
http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/campaigns/toxics/science/chemicals-electronics/
