E-waste management- How can IT companies implement it?

Posted by Srushti Tete on August 30th, 2022

New technologies and our reliance on connectivity in both our personal and professional life have led to an unparalleled increase in both the use of and demand for electronics. And throughout the epidemic, this has quickly changed to match our needs. Electronic garbage, or "e-waste," has a significant negative impact due to our dependency on anything electronic. Let's look at the difficulty, the hazards involved, and the steps IT companies can take for e-waste management.

What is e-waste?

Historically, computers, servers, monitors, tablets, printers, and cell phones have been categorized as e-waste. This word now encompasses a far broader range of items utilized in homes and companies, such as toys, tools, music, automobiles, and wearable technology. These products turn into e-waste when their useful lives are over.

The 2020 UN Worldwide E-waste Monitor states that e-waste is the greatest global waste stream, contains a lot of materials that are dangerous to human health and the environment, and is rarely recycled. In addition to valuable elements like cobalt, lithium, palladium, copper, and gold, electronic garbage also contains other materials whose worth is lost if they are not recycled.

The Hidden dangers of E-waste

Although it is now generally acknowledged that there are legal frameworks and rules in place for the proper e-waste management. These are frequently misinterpreted and this causes detrimental problems. Improper electronic disposal poses a wide range of risks. Let’s look at a few of the risks involved:

1. E-waste is made up of a variety of contaminants, including lead, mercury, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), brominated flame retardants (BFR), chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), and persistent organic pollutants. These compounds contaminate landfills when e-waste is not recycled, harming the water supply through leachate and damaging the soil. 

2. Communities close to landfills are especially at risk for chemical exposures brought on by inappropriate e-waste disposal. Irresponsible recycling operations frequently cause environmental contamination that affects the health of nearby communities' residents.

3. If the manual dismantling of the gadgets necessary for e-waste recycling is not done properly, it can expose workers to repetitive stress and other physical risks. Workers may be exposed to airborne pollutants including lead, mercury, and combustible dust, which have serious negative effects on health, throughout the disassembly process. 

4. After disassembly, the processing of electronic waste disposal to recover precious metals uses risky chemicals and high-risk procedures, like acid processing and smelting, which creates hazardous work situations.

5. The majority of e-waste treatment takes place in underdeveloped nations, many of which lack the cultural norms, safety infrastructure, and regulatory regulations necessary to protect their workforce.

6. Other effects of exposure to e-waste in children include thyroid dysfunction, poor birth outcomes, behavioral changes, reduced lung function, and negative cellular changes.

How can IT companies implement E-waste management?

1. Build A LONG-TERM PLAN

Designing for the long term is the first important lesson to learn for e-waste management. For IT companies, this could be challenging because the majority of their revenue comes from satisfying a consistent demand that grows yearly. The financial flow slows down when demand declines. The production of items that require continual updating, upgrading, or complete replacement keeps demand high and persistent.

This can be made possible by the inclusion of leasing programmes in the services provided by mobile service providers and similar businesses. For instance, a Verizon customer might pay a small amount for a new phone for around two years before having the option to keep it or upgrade to a new model and trade in the one they've been paying for. Depending on how frequently they use it and what that usage includes, some computer users buy a new phone and laptop every year.

Of course, it's challenging to ignore this economic model in favor of creating technology that lasts longer than the norm in the fiercely competitive world of technology.

Naturally, there are boundaries to how far this idea can go. New ideas enter the market every year as technology continues to evolve at breakneck speed.Additionally, tech firms must adapt to these changing times.

Even within those constraints, designing products to last as long as feasible is a very responsible strategy for dealing with the electronic waste products  and gets to the core of the matter of e-waste management.

2. FIX AND REUSE CURRENT PRODUCTS

Some tech corporations handle this internally and offer discounted refurbished products to their customers. Others collaborate with organizations like electronic recycling centers for computers and laptops. These centers help to buy outmoded or older models, work with used models, or accept donations.They then prepare the individual units for resale by refurbishing, modernizing, and renovating them.

All of this increases the lifespan of the individual items and greatly reduces the amount of electronic scrap that IT companies produce each year.

3. SLOW DOWN THE USE OF NEW RESOURCES

Tech businesses may sustainably exercise e-waste management in a number of other ways than recycling and repair. Budgetary restrictions are one that is particularly relevant.

Each business has a budget. And every business, even computer firms, is continually looking for methods to keep inside budget.

After all, technology is necessary to create technology!

It is possible to establish policies within each company that minimize the need to purchase new resources. In other words, while designers and producers certainly require specific tools, how much can they accomplish with what they already have? Can equipment, software, programmes, and tools be used any longer before they become completely useless?

4. EMPLOY E-WASTE RECYCLING COMPANIES

How much does it cost to recycle electronic waste properly? The answer depends on a number of these factors:

• Your location

• Materials and products recycled

• Availability of nearby recycling facilities

• How efficient and trustworthy the e-waste recycling service is

• How completely the product and materials are disassembled

Partnering with e-waste management companies in India is one approach to get around at least some of these issues and maintain a small yet effective recycling expenditure. Some of these companies take current products and really upcycle and restore them. Others can prolong the useful life of those resources by separating the products into their recyclable, valuable components and sending those components on to manufacturers.

Tech companies can receive a beneficial service on an ongoing, predictable basis by partnering with e-waste recycling companies and entering into an annual contract with them.

5. DONATE GOODS AND SERVICES

Donating goods, either locally or to a larger organization, is a last way that tech enterprises can reduce the amount of e-waste they produce.

This particularly applies to products that customers have returned, products still under warranty that require refurbishing or updates, and older, unsold products.

A IT corporation can greatly minimize its e-waste footprint and improve its reputation by making donations to charities and other groups.

Conclusion

The key conclusion that should be drawn is that although electronic trash is a significant problem, IT companies may make important contributions to the solution.

No one business will be able to turn the tide entirely. But as more businesses attempt to implement these suggestions, we will get closer to finding a long-term solution to the problem of electronic waste management.