Tuesday 2 June 2020

Strict National Electronic Recycling Reforms - Why We Need To Act Now

We are in desperate need of national electronic recycling companies at the moment. Several surveys have indicated that the majority of e-waste produced in the USA and many other developed countries is disposed of in developing countries such as India, Pakistan, parts of Africa, and some Middle Eastern nations as well. No attention is paid to the safety norms of this disposal and this has left the environment of these countries and many across the globe at a big risk. Health problems in these regions have alarmed their national governments and the effect is going to show eventually across every country in the world. Electronic recycling is therefore the need of the hour for everyone.



The European Union has legislation in place which requires manufacturers to stress upon e-waste disposal mechanisms across the industry. Every manufacturer has to abide by certain rules, regulations and compliances while managing their e-waste on a regular basis. In countries like the USA, UK and Australia, Singapore, and many parts of Europe the biggest reason for the failure of any national electronic recycling firm is not just one. 

There is difficulty in following these stringent guidelines
The cost of recycling used electronics is also relatively higher
There is a severe lack of efficient enforcement of legislation laws regarding e-waste exports to developing countries

According to an independent study, impacts of unsafe and unmonitored e-waste disposal are already showing on several countries of Asia and Central Africa as well.


Ignoring The 1992 Movement - Basel Convention

The Basel Convention had already banned the export of dangerous e-waste to poor countries in the year 1992. But the practice has continued ever since. A lot of manufacturers call this move "bridging the digital divide" which is completely hypocritical in nature. By exporting discarded and obsolete electronics that have almost come to the end of their life cycle to poor countries, we cannot bridge the digital divide between them and us. Secondhand goods or any broken electronics cannot be reused by anyone whether it is in Africa or India. Many times, illegal disposal is covered up by the name of charitable donations and according to the United Nations Environment Program, this practice is causing several health hazards in addition to irreparable environmental damages a cross numerous countries. Only strict national electronic recycling reforms can help us come out of this problem.