E-WASTE
Electronic waste A.K.A e-waste the most rapidly growing issue in the global now. A lot of thing have change, for example black and white television change to colour, hand phone from a purpose to multipurpose and more until it produce e-waste.
What is e-waste?
· Usually known as used electrical and electronic assemblies.
· the First Schedule of the Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations 2005, administered by the Department of Environment (DOE)
· Under code SW 110, e-wastes are defined as wastes generated from the electrical and electronic assemblies containing components such as accumulators, mercury switches, glass from cathode-ray tubes and other activated glass or polychlorinated biphenyl-capacitors, or contaminated with cadmium, mercury, lead, nickel, chromium, copper, lithium, silver, manganese or polychlorinated byphenyls
Example of e-waste component or product of a computer system:
| cables | Printers |
| Monitors | Scanners |
| System units | Speakers |
| Routers | Microphones |
| Televisions | Headsets |
| Mouse | CD-ROM |
| Keyboard | Other gadget that related to computer* |
E-waste Impact on Environment and Human Health
· Basel action network (ban) estimates that the 500 million computers in the world contain 2.87 billion kg of plastics, 716.7 million kg of lead and 286 700 kg of mercury. The average 14-inch monitor uses a tube that contains an estimated 2.5 to 4 kg of lead.
· E-waste that are landfilled produce highly contaminated lea-chate which eventually pollutes the environment especially surface water and groundwater
· Moreover, e-waste component will effect our health, refer table below:
How e-waste should manage
· There two main categories for e-waste producer
1. Household (house appliance)
2. Business and production (office appliance and industrial equipment)
· In Malaysia there is a system that manages the e-waste. Each level has it’s process, refer table below;
Responsibilities in proper e-waste management
· Reduce and reuse
We should donating , giving away or selling usable electrical and electronics appliance to other people or secondhand shops will extend the lifespan of the products and keep them out of the waste management system for a longer time.
· Recycle
We should disposed it by send or give away to collector rather then trough it away.
· Be a wise consumer
As consumer we should think and check wisely before a buy item for our safety and health purpose.
Conclusion
As world keep moving forward, the technology will keep upgrading, so as a human we all should think in near future, what will happen if we are not concern about e-waste and the effect that it will produce. The best way to prevent it, is by follow 3R, reduce, reuse and recycle.
