Essay about E-waste Management
While technology has revolutionized the way people live, it has not come without a direct environmental cost. Toxic waste or electronic waste
(e–waste), produced by obsolete electronic products, is growing at an alarming rate, and poses a severe environmental threat. In light of challenges
underlined by this new kind of waste, sound management is imperative. Although, America and Asia are economically very different from each other,
ironically they do not differ much when it comes to the `mismanagement' of e–waste: unsafe disposition practices, lax legislation, and inadequate
recycling.
Disposal of e–waste is one of the major problems faced in America. Despite being financially sound, America has no proper infrastructure built for safe
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According to HP, "these extra [charges] would not be placed on companies outside the California border, therefore, giving outside retailers and
companies a competitive advantage." In addition, the report added that according to some environmentalists, this Act does not provide any "incentives
[for the manufacturers] to improve their designs for the environment."
Likewise, inconsistencies also exist in the legal standards of Asia. The domestic legislations concerning e–waste disposal continues to be difficult to
enforce in developing countries of Asia in the absence of international cooperation and assistance, technical and financial means, and an adequate
infrastructure. For instance, according to a report by Multinational Monitor, "China has banned the import of e–waste and yet the US refuses to honor
that ban by preventing exports to them."
Yet another concern for America is inadequate recycling of e–waste. According to a recent study, "In the US, only one in nine, retired computers was
recycled in 2001." The US imputed the cause to the high cost of recycling that incurs from collecting, sorting, transporting, and processing e–waste. On
the other hand, however, some manufacturers have devised new
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