A Push to Mine Existing E-Waste
As electronic waste continues to pile up, it has become an increasingly urgent priority to find ways to recycle it, instead of mining the earth for new metals. According to a recent study, by 2021 there will be 57 million tons of e-waste globally. This is unsustainable and poses a serious threat to the environment. The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) pleads for a worldwide effort to recycle e-waste, rather than continuing to drill for precious natural resources. This approach would be better for the atmosphere and could reduce conflict over natural resources.
As part of its campaign to raise awareness about unsustainable mining practices, RSC has pointed out that geopolitical unrest, such as the war in Ukraine, has caused significant price increases for key materials, like nickel. Nickel is an essential component in electric vehicle batteries, an issue of concern which affects many. Researchers say that current reserves of some key elements are simply running out, causing chaos in the supply chains that enable the production of electronics. Combined with the skyrocketing demand for technology, prices for lithium, for example, have increased by almost 500% between 2021 and 2022.
“Our tech consumption habits remain highly unsustainable and have left us at risk of exhausting the raw elements we need,” Professor Tom Welton, president of the Royal Society of Chemistry states. He added that these habits were “continuing to exacerbate environmental damage”. If changes are not made now, some crucial elements used to make electronics may not be available in coming years.
6 Elements in Smartphones That Could Dwindle in the Next Century
Mining electronic waste for valuable components could be a solution to the rapidly decreasing supply of naturally occurring elements. By extracting materials from already existing e-waste, they could be recycled and reused. In addition, e-waste mining could create jobs and provide a source of income for impoverished areas. Some of the essential elements that could be depleted include:
- Arsenic: Used as a wood preserver and is used in fireworks.
- Gallium: Used in LED’s, telescopes, solar panels, medical thermometers, and has possible anti-cancer properties.
- Indium: Used in microchips, transistors, fire-sprinkler systems, solar panels, and as a coating for ball-bearings in Formula One cars.
- Silver: Used in reactive lenses that darken in sunlight, mirrors, and antibacterial clothing/gloves compatible with touch screens.
- Tantalum: Used in turbine blades, surgical implants, hearing aids, pacemakers, electrodes for neon lights, rocket nozzles and nose caps for supersonic aircraft.
- Yttrium: Used in camera lenses, white LED lights, and can be used to treat some cancers.
The importance of conserving natural resources cannot be emphasized enough. With the plethora of applications which require these elements, not having them readily available would be catastrophic.
Most Consumers Don’t Know How to Safely Dispose of E-Waste
Every year, less than 20% of electronic waste is collected and recycled, but the amount of global e-waste is growing by about two million tons per year. “We need governments to overhaul recycling infrastructure and tech businesses to invest in more sustainable manufacturing,” Professor Tom Welton suggested.
As consumers become more aware of the environmental impact that personal technology choices have, many are interested in sustainable options. A recent survey of 10,000 people across 10 countries found that 60% would switch to a more sustainable brand of tech product if it became available. However, the study also showed that many do not know how to dispose of e-waste responsibly. Numerous respondents expressed concern about the ecological effects of unused devices laying idle. However, consumers did not know what to do with these items and voiced their unease about the security of recycling schemes.
“Manufacturers and retailers need to take more responsibility,” said Ms. Ratcliffe. “Like ‘take-back’ schemes, meaning individuals can return old electronics to a retailer and be reassured they will be recycled properly.
“All this volatility in supply chains really just reinforces the fact that we need a circular economy for these materials. At the moment, we’re just mining them out of the ground constantly.”
Educating the public about responsibly disposing e-waste could reduce environmental impact and encourage ‘greener’ consumer choices. Elizabeth Ratcliffe from the Royal Society of Chemistry states that many are “unwittingly stockpiling precious metals in their homes”, such as old phones or outdated computers. Most consumers know not to throw old electronics into the trash, so many stash them under a bed or in a closet and forget about them. If consumers were more educated on how to dispose of these items, there would likely be far more devices returned to be recycled. Changes need to be made so these precious natural resources can be protected.
E-Waste Solutions for Consumers and Businesses
As the e-waste problem continues to expand, it is important for businesses and consumers to take initiative and recycle unwanted electronics properly. To help with this, the RSC has created online resources that list recycling centers where computers, phones and other devices can be securely recycled. They hope that by providing access to these facilities, individuals will be encouraged to recycle.
“The thing we always say is reduce, reuse and recycle. So perhaps keep a phone for longer and maybe sell an old phone or give it to a relative,” Ms. Ratcliffe comments. “It will need everyone working together to scale up these processes and put the infrastructure in place, so we can all recycle our devices.”
Another way to recycle outdated electronics is by utilizing an IT asset disposition service. This guarantees the proper disposal of electronic waste. ITAD providers not only protect the environment, but also ensure that sensitive data is not compromised. ITAD services help businesses and consumers by managing the full lifecycle of their devices, this includes everything from procurement and deployment to end-of-life disposal. ITAD facilities help businesses save money, time, and resources by certifying that devices are properly managed and comply with industry regulations. Using ITAD services is an ideal solution to help businesses and consumers keep data secure, and responsibly dispose of electronic waste.
