Electronic waste: A global crisis in need of sustainable solutions
Most hazardous e-waste contain toxic components
With every passing year, the practice of storing or dumping vast amounts of electronic waste is growing, driven by people’s constant urge to upgrade to the latest, lightest or slimmest versions of electronic products just entering the market. This trend has led to a doubling of the annually generated global e-waste volume in just five years, from approximately 20 million tons to 40 million tons, as reported by a survey conducted by the Kuwait Environment Protection Society.
Unfortunately, this e-waste ends up being sent to landfills, resulting in significant adverse effects on the environment and people, as noted by Jenan Behzad, Secretary General of KEPS. She highlighted mobile phones, personal computing devices and televisions as the most hazardous e-waste, containing toxic components such as lead and mercury, which are released into the environment, causing damage to the brain, heart, liver, kidneys and skeletal systems of humans. Additionally, these toxic substances accumulate in the soil, air, water and living organisms.
However, Behzad noted that e-waste encompasses more than just electronic devices; it also includes batteries, chargers, wires and any items whose lifespan has ended. Reacting to the misconception that these products are worthless, Behzad dispelled this false belief by highlighting that e-waste includes valuable metals such as gold, silver and copper, which can be extracted and reused for manufacturing new products.
Therefore, proper disposal of e-waste will not only protect the health of people and the environment, but will also extend to providing economic benefits, as emphasized by Ghassan Mazloum, a business developer and administration manager at an e-waste recycling company in Kuwait. He pointed out that efficient retrieval of valuable materials from e-waste contributes to fostering a circular economy.
By using recycled materials, manufacturers can lower the costs associated with extracting and processing new raw materials, boost production rates, create more job opportunities and ultimately offer products at lower prices, thereby benefiting the end consumer as well, he noted. Mazloum argued that the lack of awareness regarding the consequences of dumping electronic waste is one of the primary factors contributing to this escalating phenomenon. Additionally, he noted the lack of trust in electronic waste companies, particularly concerning the handling of sensitive data stored on old electronic devices.
Therefore, the essential role of recycling companies comes into play, as Mazloum explained that legitimate electronic waste companies provide detailed reports as evidence of destruction, dismantling or data erasure. Moreover, he assured they are approved by legal authorities and adhere to regulations and international standards concerning safety, health and material disposal. Mazloum believes that another cause behind the prevalence of dumping