Dealing with E-Waste

                                                             

 written by 10203 Kim Dan Ah & 10808 Park Su Ji

 

The IT Revolution has brought many changes to our lives. The advance of digital devices lets us see a new and marvelous world. But behind that, the issue of e-waste is emerging globally. E-waste is a variety of useless electric or electronic goods that were sold, donated or abandoned by consumers. These devices are no longer valuable due to being at the end of their lives.

According to “The Global E-waste Monitor 2020” by the UN, up to 52.6 million tons of e-waste was generated in the world for 2019. The e-waste production rate of Korea comprised 1.6 percent, about 818 thousand tons. Korea’s rate is more than twice the world’s average.

E-waste has a higher fatal effect on the environment than other waste. Therefore Koreans must be more cautious about the e-waste issue than other waste issues.

E-waste contains toxic components. Many minerals and chemicals are needed to operate electronic devices. For example, a smartphone includes an average of more than 20 metallic materials (like lead and copper) and materials for coating and adhesion purposes. They are safe when used as products. But when they enter the soil, groundwater and atmosphere, they can cause cancer or nervous system ailments.

E-waste also contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer. For example, refrigerants are essential for refrigerators and air conditioners to work. However, refrigerants also contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer when they are turned into e-waste.

 

What Effort Is Society Making?

The Korean government is trying to reduce the environmental impact of e-waste through legislation. In 2008, the act on the circulation of resources of electrical, electronic and automobile was carried out to establish the basis for the collection and recycling of electrical goods.

In 2010, as the interest and importance of the cyclical availability of resources increased daily, the government tried to revitalize the urban mine industry. Urban mine means using abandoned e-waste  as material to produce new electronics. For example, if you recycle your smartphone, you can make money and save the environment by utilizing e-waste. Urban mines are used as raw materials to produce new electronics by recovering mineral resources from abandoned electronics and e-waste. About 400g of gold can be extracted from 1-ton cell phone waste.

The government also implemented the first law that defined Korean industrial waste. This is known as the Environmental Conservation Act.

However, despite these efforts, the recycling rate is relatively lower than in Europe. Germany, for example, retrieved and recycled 837 thousand tons of e-waste, but Korea recycled only 292 thousand tons. Considering that the amount of collected e-waste in Germany is twice that of Korea, it’s still small.

As ESG management has recently become a global trend. ESG management involves the non-financial elements of a company like the environment, social and governance. Many companies are trying to reduce the adverse effects on the environment. Therefore, companies are endeavoring to properly handle the waste from the production process.

For instance, Samsung reduced semiconductor waste for the first time in the semiconductor industry. They are trying to reduce e-waste through efforts such as changing the production of products into a more eco-friendly way.

                                                                                                      

                                              

What Can We Do?

 As a consumer, we can consider whether we really need a new one before buying it.

One of the most representative e-waste is smartphones. Even though people can still use their current smartphones, they want to change once they see a newer model. With the frequent launch of new smartphones, current phones are often changed for new ones. If it’s just a problem involving a cracked screen or the battery running out faster than it used to, it can be fixed.

If you’re careful when purchasing new electronics, it’s beneficial because you can not only lessen the amount of waste thrown away but also it cost less.

We  can dispose of waste in the right way. When throwing away the existing product after purchasing a new product, you can ask the vendor to take it. The duties of the vendor are established by law, so consumers can be guaranteed the rights.

Also when throwing away the existing product, you can take advantage of free visit collect service for home electronics by the Ministry of Environment. It is a system that people in charge collect home electronics if you make a reservation via the Internet (www.15990903.or.kr) or by phone (1599-0393).

The use of electronics has steadily increased because of technological advances, an increase in income, the growth of cities and the spread of electronics such as smart furniture. With the increase of electronics, e-waste which is increasingly growing its territory in our society is taking away someone’s life and causing environmental pollution. The digital issue started without preparation! As long as we don’t leave Earth, our efforts are to solve the digital issues.