Around the world old electronics, or e-waste, is being thrown away and dumped onto normally pristine landscapes. Not only is this harmful towards the environment, but it harms the health of surrounding inhabitants as well. E-waste buildup over the years has been massive, and the complications it brings will only increase if something is not done.
This e-waste is greatly impacting the daily lives of the surrounding inhabitants. It harms the scavengers health, as well as polluting the area. Also, certain types of e-waste provides criminals opportunities to steal personal or sensitive government data. However, the exporters of the e-waste find that dumping the e-waste is cheaper than properly disposing of it.
The people that scavenge e-waste by literally cooking components are slowly poisoning themselves by breathing in toxins that are released. Personal or sensitive data can be viewed by hooking up hard drives from thrown computers and simply opening the files(Inquirer). The companies that export the e-waste state in the video that the exporters don’t want to pay to dispose of e-waste properly even though they realize its hurting the environment.
To help reduce the amount of e-waste we produce, certain actions should be taken. For one, legitimately donating old electronics you don't want or need to friends or family will prevent that machine from contributing to the e-waste piles. Another way is to find a website or business that legitimately recycles your device, instead of exporting it out of the country. Also, you could consider selling your computer used.(3 solutions)
I believe that e-waste is harmful to both people and the environment it pollutes, as well as providing opportunities for criminal activity. Selling old electronics or donating them instead of "recycling" them is the best way to avoid contributing to e-waste and I will remember to go for one of those paths with my old electronics. I'll just have to remember to smash my hard drive.
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