Most people know that computers and other electronic devices contain toxic materials that can harm both the environment and human beings if not disposed of properly. This is why people are encouraged not to throw their used electronic devices away but rather to responsibly recycle them through an e-waste recycling system. Many companies offer take-back services, in which they will take care of recycling your old electronics for you (usually for a small fee, or the cost of shipping). These programs have made recycling electronics much simpler for the ordinary American, and many concerned citizens have dropped their computers or cell phones off and walked away feeling good about reducing toxic waste in landfills and protecting the environment.
Which is why a report that was issued recently on unsafe e-waste recycling by large companies is so unnerving.
Last month, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducted a study on corporate e-waste recycling in the United States. Contrary to the eco-friendly public image for which many companies strive, the GAO found that at least 43 major U.S. companies were exporting our old electronics to developing countries to be "recycled." For the purposes of the study, GAO officials posed as potential buyers of broken CRTs (cathode ray tubes, which are used in televisions and computer monitors among other things) in India, Pakistan and other developing countries. They found that many U.S. companies were willing to export to them, which is a clear violation of an American CRT regulation.
You may ask how this came about and, more importantly, why we should care. Basically, it is no secret that our electronics contain valuable resources -- primarily copper -- that can be sold on the world market. People in developing countries have found that if they take apart broken electronic devices, they can extract the valuable materials and sell them. Thus, many have set up their own electronics recycling centers, sometimes in their own homes.
But a major problem with this situation is that homemade recycling operations lack the proper equipment to adequately protect the salvagers and the environment from the toxic materials that are contained in computers and cell phones. Picture Guiyu, China, a town where over 100,000 workers (including children) dismantle electronics using their bare hands, often in their own homes with little or no ventilation. It is extremely dangerous, and the effects of the e-waste flow are becoming apparent already.
A study completed in 2007 found that children living in Guiyu had levels of lead in their blood that were 50 percent higher than the limits set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's scary stuff. In contrast, an advanced e-waste processing plant has intricate systems to separate the toxic from the non-toxic, good ventilation and protective equipment for its workers to prevent poisoning.
Sadly, many companies are willing to export old and broken electronics to "recycling centers" in these countries because it is considerably cheaper than using facilities with high safety standards and better wages.
This is not only a human rights issue; it is an environmental catastrophe. Specifically, because many of the countries to which we export these broken electronics lack the means to properly contain or dispose of the chemicals and toxins released when electronics are incinerated or dismantled, they end up in landfills where they then sink into the soil and water supply. We would never allow for this type of disposal within our borders, so it is absolutely unacceptable to allow our waste to meet this end in other countries.
So, how do we fix it? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must increase its efficiency in controlling the flow of electronic waste out of our country. It seems clear that the agency needs to tighten its restrictions and get serious about enforcing its policies. The EPA has only initiated 20 investigations since the ban on CRT exportation went into effect a year-and-a-half ago. When you take into consideration that within the course of one study, 43 companies expressed willingness to export broken CRTs, it is clear that 20 investigations in 18 months is far from adequate.
On a smaller level, much of the responsibility also falls on individual companies. Ultimately, they are the ones deciding how to dispose of their e-waste. Individual electronic manufacturers must sustain an effective take-back program for when their products become obsolete, and then they need to responsibly dispose of these products after reclaiming them from the consumer.
The problem would also be lessened or solved if manufacturers made their products more eco-friendly in the first place by reducing the amount of toxic materials contained in our cell phones, computers, televisions, etc. Apple recently made major reductions in the amount of toxic chemicals in its new line of iPods, which is a great step forward, but they need to work on doing the same for their computers, which still contain large amounts of toxic chemicals.
As neither employees of government agencies nor CEOs of electronics companies, we consumers also have a role to play. We all need to take into consideration the environmental impact of our purchases and make an effort to buy from environmentally responsible companies. And when our electronic devices come to the ends of their lives, we need to be sure to dispose of them properly. The good news is that many responsible recycling options exist for consumers. Many electronics manufacturers have started no- or low-cost recycling programs for consumers, and more are being planned. For example, all Staples stores charge only $10 per piece, Sony has a free drop-off program, Tosiba and Gateway have trade-in programs, and Apple and Dell recycle old products when you buy new products. Details of these programs can be found on: www.tuftsrecycles.org/electronics.
You may be happy to learn that Tufts University recycles staff and faculty computers through a reputable company that does not send any products overseas.
But Tufts' policies are the exception, not the rule, so we need to work hard to change the dangerous practices that are becoming commonly used in the recycling world. The best thing you can do to address this problem is to call the public recycling agency in your home town and inquire about the final destination of the recycled electronics from the city. If you visit www.earth911.org, you can search your zip code for recycling services and it will link you to the contact information. If you need some talking points, you can go to the Electronics tab on Earth911, then click Proper Recycling, and it will show you a list of criteria that one should look for in an electronics recycling agency. A simple phone call expressing your concern for proper disposal of recycled goods, as a voting citizen in the district, can make quite a difference.
And in the end, isn't it worth a few minutes of your time to ensure that you won't be seeing the lead from that computer again -- this time in your blood? I think so.
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Christina Kay is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major.
