|
|
|
|
Resources for E-Waste Education.
10/03/2008
Author :
Graeme Daniel
"Money is not the reason for recycling. We recycle for our future, our children's future, and our grandchildren's future." - Recyling and Waste Minimisation (City of Cockburn, Western Australia)
Considering the high profile of Information and Communication Technologies in our daily lives, it's surprising that the waste products they generate, and ensuing disposal problems, do not loom as large in the public view. It's probably something to do with visibility - many old computers still lurk in sheds and spare rooms, and may even still work, though both software and supporting hardware have long been superseded; those old floppy disks probably still carry useful files, if only we could get around to sorting through them; it's too easy to slip the clunky old mobile phone to the back of the drawer when its time to upgrade to a sleeker, more fashionable accessory. And even when devices are recycled, they go to more needy users, don't they? often even to countries on the wrong side of the Digital Divide? They don't seem to hang about degrading our own environments - or do they? Even if they did, could something we used daily be so dangerous if dumped?
In Teens Go Green with Gizmos ( Ngoc Nguyen / The Sacramento Bee: March 02, 2008), Natomas Charter School students are surprised to discover the effects of not recycling ewaste. Education is a commonly cited strategy in campaigns promoting responsible disposal of ICT products at the end of the line. In this edition of WWWTools for Education, we document resources for ewaste education.
Origins and Composition of E-waste.
Electronic waste is not necessarily that generated by the disposal of specifically ICT devices and their byproducts - many common tools and appliances incorporate digital elements which ultimately qualify them as potential ewaste:
History of e-Waste (Electronic Recyclers International, 2008) - defines ewaste, lists commonly associated hazardous materials.
Graphics and brief explanatory texts courtesy of the UNEP/GRID-Arendal Library of Graphics Resources:
- What Is E-Waste? ( EMPA Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, 2006) - breakdown by sorts of appliances/devices.
- What Is in a Computer? (Philippe Rekacewicz, 2004} - 23% plastic, 32% ferrous metals, 18% non-ferrous metals (lead, cadmium, antimony, beryllium, chromium and mercury), 12% electronic boards (gold, palladium, silver and platinum) and 15% glass. About 50% can be recycled. Toxicity mostly due to the lead (up to 2kg), mercury and cadmium; flame retardants make plastic difficult to recycle.
What Is E-Waste? (Raptor Center, University of Minnesota) - a birds'-eye view of heavy-metal toxicity.
What Is E-Waste? (Rick Wakelin / Recycling Seminar: September 2006) - 'E waste encompasses a broad and growing range of electronic devices from household appliances to the humble notebook and mobile phone.' This comprehensive presentation contains many basic facts and figures.
The Human Factor.
Recycle Your E-Waste in El Monte! (PR Newswire: February 25, 2008) - though people may be aware of the need, implementation must be easy and cost-free.
Free E-Waste Event March 8 at Monterey Fairgrounds (californian.com: March 03, 2008) - legislated rules may work where voluntary constraints fail.
E-Waste Post (cs107: March 02, 2008) - "out of sight, out of mind" .
E-waste (cs107: March 02, 2008) - globalisation allows ewaste disposal to be outsourced: the 'not in my back yard' syndrome.
IT Companies 'Could Do More to Cut Waste' (Greenbang: February 13, 2008) - also applies to businesses in general.
Greenpeace Calls Out Microsoft, Nintendo (msnbc Business: November 27, 2007) - manufacturers are often slow to phase out toxic chemicals from products and processes. See also HP's Printer Cartridges Are an E-Waste Disaster
(Zack Pelta-Heller / AlterNet: October 29, 2007). On the other hand, some companies aspire to the high moral ground: see for example Defending Apple’s Environmental Record (Newton Poetry: March 03, 2008)
E-waste: Dump It Wherever? (SAUMYA / Gaze Beyond the Frost: March, 2008) - should manufacturers take responsibility for the entire lifecycles of their products?
Comprehensive Coverage.
Geopedia is National Geographic's new wiki-style resource providing collections of authoritative background material to supplement feature articles. The E-Waste collection is remarkable background reading.
E-Waste Curriculum Development Project, Phase 1, Research & Content Development: Literature Review
(The Natural Edge and Dell / Griffith University: July 31, 2006) - a basic resource for tertiary studies.
A Global Problem.
USA:
Trashed Tech: Where Do Old Cell Phones, TVs and PCs Go to Die? (Larry Greenemeier / Scientific American: November 29, 2007) - is ewaste reaching critical mass?
The Afterlife of Cellphones (Jon Mooallem / New York Times Magazine: January 13, 2008) - for pertinent extracts, see The Space of eWaste (psfk: January 14, 2008)
E-waste (Keeping Orange County Clean) - the California Integrated Waste Management Board is serious about confronting the problem.
EUROPE:
E-waste 'a Mounting Problem' (News24: February 22, 2008) - about 75% of TVs, computers, cellphones and other devices escape proper disposal in the EU.
EU's E-Waste Rules Affect Global Market (Physorg: January 04, 2007)
- manufacturers to dispose of consumers' electronic equipment.
- ban on exporting hazardous materials to developing countries for disposal
- registration and evaluation of chemical pollutants.
AFRICA:
Nairobi’s E-Waste Dump Threatens Lives (Lucie Peytermann / Dawn: November 11, 2007) - one of the world’s most polluted sites.
High-Tech Trash (Chris Carroll / National Geographic: January, 2008) - disposal in Ghana.
Combating the Danger of E-Waste in Nigeria (Efem Nkanga / This Day: January 16, 2008)
ASIA:
India Generated 3.3 Lakh Tonnes of E-Waste in 2007 (The Hindu / via Environment of Kerala: December 13, 2007) - current figures.
China's E-Waste Capital Chokes on Old Computers (Mark Chisholm and Kitty Bu / Reuters: June 11, 2007, via World Prout Assembly archives)
AUSTRALIA:
Lust for Upgrades Builds a Mountain of E-Waste (Deborah Cameron / The Age: April 16, 2007) - product stewardship?
Innovative Today, Obsolete Tomorrow (Jennie Curtin / SMH: February 27, 2008) - proposes that manufacturers be ultimately responsible for the disposal of their products.
Approaches to Ewaste Disposal.
Electronics: A New Opportunity for Waste Prevention, Reuse, and Recycling (United States Solid Waste and
Environmental Protection Agency, June 2001) outlines options for disposal in the USA. More recent EPA literature specifically addressing ewaste management is thin on the ground.
Alternatives to traditional landfill and incineration practices seem to get down to: redesign / preemptive design; retrieval by manufacturers; refurbishing for extended reuse; recycling materials; reselling; relocation / outsourcing disposal.
REDESIGN:
Crystal Ball 2.0 (The Big Chair: January 14, 2008) - Conrad Walters predicts that green credentials will gain importance for hardware manufacturers.
RMIT's Centre for Design is a major proponent of Life Cycle Assessment, promoting design methods and tools supporting sustainable design in both products and services. This year, Life Cycle Assessment Courses are being conducted in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.
The theme is also picked up in the Global Solutions section of Tanya Ha's article on E-waste (ABC: November 06, 2003)
RESPONSIBLE RETRIEVAL:
The EU's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive emphasises manufacturers' responsibility for involvement in the waste phase of product life - see
Electrical and Electronic Products Infrastructure Facilitation / 5. International Policy and Corporate Program
(Department of the Environment and Heritage, Centre for Design and Product Ecology / January, 2004)
The Producer Responsibility Principle of the WEEE Directive (ÖKOPOL, Lund University's International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics, and Risk & Policy Analysts / August 19, 2007)
Environment Australia's paper on Product Stewardship follows similar themes - for reactions from industry, see Co-Regulatory Frameworks for Product Stewardship: Analysis of Submissions to Discussion Paper
The Computer TakeBack Campaign advocates extended producer responsibility. PowerPoint presentations are available for download.
REFURBISHING:
Many organisations offer to fix usable gear for redistribution to needy users. Some Queensland examples:
Computerbank Queensland, and Green PC's Infoxchange Australia initiative - refurbished donated items are distributed free to financially disadvantaged people.
Many sites promote Refurbished Cell Phones (AT&T), Refurbished iPods, refurbished laptops - shop around for best buys.
REUSE:
Second Rotation Finds Home for Old Gadgets, Raises Money (Martin LaMonica / Webware News: January 29, 2008) - a broker to facilitate interaction between consumers and eBay or an electronics recycler.
World Computer Exchange helps connect youth in 65 developing countries to the Internet by shipping working computers in the expectation that they still have several years of useful life. In Helping to Do Our Part , WCE emphasises the need for responsible disposal at the end of that time.
Computer Recycling Centre promotes reuse.
RECYCLING:
Recycle Your E-Waste (Global Warming Solutions: March 2008) lists recycling options.
Sims Group Limited is the world’s largest e-waste recycler. This brochure illustrates processes.
DELL Computer Recycling enjoys strong environmental credentials.
The Gold Coast City Council is planning Electronic Waste and Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Events at designated transfer stations. Lists items suitable for recycling.
Recycled ewaste can be used to make:
Mobile phones present interesting problems due to their small size and rapid turnover rate - recycling solutions are provided by CollectiveGood , Nokia Phone Take-Back , and many others.
See also U.S. Agency to Encourage Recycling of Cellphones (Claudia H. Deutsch / IHT: January 08, 2008)
RESELLING:
Companies Launch Gadget Buyback Services (SMH: January 17, 2008) - TechForward's buyback plan for electronics.
BuyMyTronics.com buys used, new or broken devices.
US Recycling buys used cell phones, empty printer cartridges, and surplus printer supplies, and promotes school fundraising programs.
Greenphone.com's recycling program helps users sell their old phones.
RELOCATION / OUTSOURCING:
- already covered above. Here's another: US Adding to Global E-Waste Trade (Terence Chea / Dawn: November 19, 2007)
Strategies , Programs, Initiatives.
E Waste Guidelines (Peter Netchaef, Andrew Quinn / Australian Council of Recyclers, Sydney Seminar, September 06, 2006) - background slides outlining Australia's situation and ACOR's role.
Going Green (Australian Information Industry Association, 2008) - AIIA's involvement with sustainability programs, including Byteback, a voluntary industry-driven recycling and product stewardship strategy, established in 2007 with Sustainability Victoria.
For background, see AIIA. E-Waste Program Development Phase: Report for Discussion & Feedback (AIIA & Planet Ark Consulting / June 2005)
Cartridges 4 Planet Ark (Planet Ark) - Australians send 34 printer cartridges to landfill every minute.
StEP - a UN initiative, to work with industry, governments, international organizations, NGOs and the science sector.
eBay's Rethink Initiative - Intel is a leading proponent.
Fundraising for a Good Cause.
Cell Phone Recycling and Wireless Recycling (Wireless Recycling) - start a Donation Program.
Charitable Recycling - used cell phones generate donations to charity.
Local Scrap Company, Cotter Show Choir Team Up to Recycle E-Waste (Nolan Rosenkrans / Winona Daily News: February 27, 2008) - choir to perform at Carnegie Hall.
Recycle For Breast Cancer provides prepaid shipping labels, envelopes, collection boxes; will send a truck.
CURE Recycling - recycled printer cartridges and cell phones benefit CURE Childhood Cancer.
In Schools.
The Computer Technologies for Schools Project (Australian Government) facilitates donations of surplus ICT equipment for use in schools.
Computer Recycling Scheme (Department of Education and Children's Services, Government of South Australia) - refurbished equipment is returned to educational use.
E-Waste Education.
In the WMAA's Waste Educators online survey (2006), respondents prioritised 'Waste Avoidance' and 'Recycling' as the most pressing areas to target in Solid Waste and Resource Recovery Education; the most common barrier noted was educators' lack of familiarity with theories of behavioural change. Read the full National Waste Education Needs Survey here .
The E-Waste Curriculum Development Project (Natural Edge Project, Griffith University and Dell Computers Australia) - online learning materials introduce and discuss the challenges of ewaste. Courses are designed for high school students, undergraduates and teachers. Selected interesting elements:
Life Cycle Assessment; Waste Technology Lecture Notes, Week 11 (Southern Cross University)
These could be adapted to specific ewaste applications:
E-waste Recycling Is State’s New Push (Jon Myers / Central Valley Business Times: December 19, 2006) - webcast: businesses are a key component in California's ewaste education campaign.
Educational Tools and Resources.
eRecycle Consumer Education Program (Roberta James-Kunisaki / California Integrated Waste Management Board) - PowerPoint presentation for employee training.
Important Waste and Recycling Terms (Keeping San Diego Clean)
Where Can I Find a Recycler? - Californian search tool, identifies out-of-state recyclers as well.
For Australians, Recycling Near You (Planet Ark} offers search facilities for finding local recycling information, and links to educational resources.
The Sustainability Blog (Griffith University) - sustainability issues and initiatives.
John S. Shegerian, CEO at Electronic Recyclers International explains ewaste in a series of brief clips at VideoJug
The Story of Stuff (Annie Leonard) - an interactive video.
Vital Waste Graphics (Maps & Graphics: UNEP/GRID-Arendal, 2006) - a collection including maps such as Mobile Phones per 1000 People
Technology Reuse with Josh Levitt of UsedCisco.com (Sean Daily / Greentalk Radio, Green Living Ideas) - audio.
Environmental elephant Ewaste Eddie struts his stuff at Computer Recycling For Education .
Plug-In to eCycling Podcasts at the USEPA - Greener Computers; Cell Phone Recycling; Trends in Recycling
Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator - a tool to help organisations estimate the environmental benefits of greening their purchasing, use and disposal of electronics.
From the National Geographic Society:
Vlog from CeBIT: xBox (Giona / Greenpeace - Making Waves: March 05, 2008) - showcasing the Greenpeace ewaste exhibit.
E-Waste Hall of Shame (Greenpeace)
Websites.
Electronic Waste (Griffith University)
Green Living Ideas - explores many pertinent topics. A remarkable collection of short pieces.
eWaste Guide
AIIA (Australian Information Industry Association)
Ease E-Waste (Electronics Recycling and Disposal) - professional services in Southern California
Electronic Recyclers International - Recent News, History of E-Waste.
eWaste and 100% Recycle (Thomas Abercrombie's blog)
Electronics (earth911}
Research.
National Center for Electronics Recycling - premier American research and program information organisation.
Centre for Environmental Systems Research (Griffith University) - the E-waste Research Group is a leader in the field.
HP Backs African Recycling Research (Andrew Donoghue / ZDNet News: September 18, 2007) - to investigate safe disposal of ewaste.
Trends and Future.
John S. Shegerian Outlines the Urgency of Effective e-Recycling to Industry Brain Trust (Chartwell Waste Industry Summit / Business Wire: February 26, 2008)
Panasonic Uses Catalytic Reaction to Decompose Plastics Into Harmless Gas for E-Waste Recycling (FoxBusiness: February 26, 2008) - but which gas?
US Gadget Show Goes Green with Laptop Made of Corn and Smart Power Adapters (SMH: January 05, 2008)
Greenpeace Unimpressed at 'Green' CeBIT (Simon Sturdee / Australian IT: March 06, 2008)
The Power to Change Should be Realized (Zeeshan Mughal / The Statesman: March 03, 2008)
1st World ReUse Forum - Call for Papers Now Open! - Forum to open in Berlin, September 07, 2008.
BOOKS:
Vital Waste Graphics 2 (UNEP/GRID-Arendal and the Secretariat of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Wastes and their Disposal, 2006) - download in sections from the sidebar, or buy from EarthPrint
What Is the Impact of E-Waste? (Cynthia A. Bily / Greenhaven Press: November 07, 2008 - N.B. not yet released)
Paperback: $21.20
ISBN-10: 0737741198
ISBN-13: 978-0737741193
f726724d-eae3-40ed-8231-3bc885c6b92b
|
|