10 Examples of Junk E-mail

Electronic waste (e-waste) or technological waste , as the name implies, is waste from electronic materials. It is also known by the acronym RAEE (Waste Electronic Devices).

With the advancement of technology in the modern world, there is an excess of electronic waste which can cause several negative impacts on the environment.

Examples of Junk E-mail

  • computers
  • Tablets
  • Monitors
  • Keyboards
  • printers
  • Photographic Cameras
  • Sound system
  • Electronic Lamps
  • televisions
  • Refrigerator
  • Stove
  • microwave
  • Radios
  • phones
  • Cell phones
  • Chargers
  • Batteries
  • Stacks
  • Fios

Electronic Waste and the Environment

Electronic waste is produced by materials of inorganic origin, for example, copper, aluminum, heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, beryllium and lead).

They can compromise the environment since they are composed of very polluting elements which are absorbed by the soil and groundwater, compromising the ecological balance.

In addition to polluting the environment, contact with these products can lead to various diseases for animals and humans.

Electronic Waste Recycling

Statistics show that around 50 million tons of e-waste are produced annually worldwide, 10 million of which are recycled in China.

However, it is worth noting that this process can be carried out by exploiting people, even children and the elderly.

A notorious example of this exploitation, as well as the excess of electronic waste produced in the world, is the city of Guiyu, in China, where thousands of people work separating this waste.

This process can be highly dangerous for the human beings who carry it out, given the elements present in this type of waste, that is, heavy and radioactive metals. Studies indicate that the soil and water courses in the region are already contaminated by electronic products.

With the increase of globalization and technology, new electronic gadgets are released in a short period of time, which leads people to change their gadgets even if they are still working.

To better exemplify, data show that in the United States, about 300 million electronic devices are discarded annually, six out of ten of which are still in perfect working condition.

In such a way, what may seem like a simple act of consumption, this type of action has a great impact on the environment, such as soil, water and air pollution.

It is worth remembering that the companies that manufacture these products use a technique called “planned obsolescence”, that is, they offer a shelf life for these products, which leads consumers to consume more and more.

Thus, given the amount of electronic waste produced in the world, the best alternative is to recycle these products.

Electronic Waste Collection and Disposal

Currently, many companies that manufacture and are responsible for a large part of the pollution from electronic products are betting on sustainability actions and, therefore, offer appropriate places for the disposal of these devices.

In the meantime, the company itself recycles these materials, generating new ones. There are also cases in which people take their used devices and exchange them for a new one, paying the difference.

An important fact is that around 80% of all electronic waste produced by developed countries is transported to poor countries, especially in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Electronic Waste in Brazil

In Brazil, the increase in the commercialization of electronic products in recent decades has generated major environmental problems such as environmental pollution. Among underdeveloped countries, Brazil is the country that generates the most electronic waste in the world.

State Law No. 13,576, of July 6, 2009, establishes rules and procedures for the recycling, management and final destination of technological waste:

“Article 1 – Electronic products and components considered technological waste must receive an appropriate final destination that does not cause damage or negative impacts to the environment and society.

Sole Paragraph – Responsibility for the final destination is jointly and severally between the companies that produce, market or import electronic products and components.”

Data from Pnuma (UN Program for the Environment) point out that Brazil annually discards around 97 thousand metric tons of computers; 2.2 thousand tons of cell phones; and 17.2 thousand tons of printers.

In 2014, the UN (United Nations) declared that Brazil produced 1.4 million tons of electronic waste.

These values ​​are frightening and, therefore, we must become aware of their damage and start to have an ethical and responsible posture with the correct disposal of electronic products, whether manufacturers or consumers.

Awareness campaigns need to be promoted in order to alert the world’s population of the importance of separating these and other types of waste with correct disposal.

Although not all cities in Brazil carry out the collection and recycling of electronic waste, currently around 720 cities have this service. However, the country is still far from being able to collect these materials on a large scale.

Consequences and Possible Solutions

Given the negative consequences that this type of waste can have on the environment, the best solution is the correct disposal in companies or cooperatives that receive these materials and take them for recycling.

This simple act ensures that the environment is not polluted and also favors the economy with the reuse of materials that can be recycled.

In addition to disposal in appropriate places, donations of working devices to social entities can help reduce this problem.