5/4/2023 0 Comments October 11 wasteland 3![]() Though many state governments have stepped in to fill the gap left by federal regulations, these programs do not cover a significant number of products and regions, and they have not developed quickly enough to make a significant impact on the waste stream. An e-waste bill, most recently titled the Responsible Electronics Recycling Act (RERA), has been proposed in Congress several times however, it has never passed. Rather, it divides waste into that which is “solid” and that which is “hazardous.” Despite studies asserting that e-waste has toxic characteristics and can lead to environmental contamination, it has not yet been recognized as toxic waste under RCRA. As written, RCRA does not contain a category that encompasses complex electronics. The federal statute covering waste disposal, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), was written in 1976 and could not have predicted the advances in technology or changes in consumer culture that would occur in the next 40 years. environmental laws and regulations are not designed to address the unique issues posed by e-waste. However, loose regulation also presents the problem of not providing equal grounds for bargaining between developed and developing nations, relying on notions of consent when denial may not be a realistic option.Ĭurrent U.S. Similarly, regulations on exports may run afoul of World Trade Organization agreements. Many groups oppose a comprehensive ban on exports on the grounds that it would be paternalistic in nature and restrict developing nations’ decision-making power. waste infrastructure is not prepared to handle.īoth suggested and implemented regulations at international and national levels have been harshly criticized for their impact on national autonomy and free trade, as well as for their failure to address issues of diplomatic pressure. produces such a large proportion of global e-waste, the majority of which is handled abroad, that any changes to the international waste stream could lead to a crisis that the U.S. e-waste is contributing to a phenomenon that is damaging the resources of receiving countries, creating problems in global manufacturing, and prompting receiving countries to attempt to close their borders to e-waste. Until December 2015, Guiyu, China, was known as one of the prime examples of these operations: wires were openly burned to obtain steel and copper, electronic chips were melted in acid to retrieve gold, plastics were recycled through chipping and melting, and leftover materials were openly dumped. Many of these retired products are either dumped in local landfills, where they present a risk of contaminating groundwater, or exported to countries like China, Ghana, and India, where the devices are reused or stripped for valuable materials. Īmericans dispose of tens of millions of mobile devices each year, in addition to computers, peripheral items like keyboards, and other technology that has made its way into our daily lives. ![]() At the same time, American consumers do not know how to dispose of these electronics, and federal laws and regulations have been slow to react to this significant change in the waste stream. By 2014, news outlets were reporting that the number of mobile devices in the world had surpassed the number of people, that more people had access to cell phones than toilets, and that many Americans maintained at least two mobile devices in order to separate their personal and business communications. ![]() ![]() The American population was about 308.7 million at the time. In 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that about 235.6 million mobile devices were sold within the United States. This is not a distant hypothetical scenario it is already happening. As more technology-oriented generations begin to dominate the market and the average lifespan of electronics remains limited, the number of decommissioned devices will rise, leading to unprecedented levels of electronic waste (“e-waste”). When this data is extrapolated to the Millennial population-which is already projected to surpass the Baby Boomers at 81.1 million people -this will translate to billions of mobile devices that are consumed and discarded, in addition to other electronics, like computers, televisions, and tablets. Assuming that this replacement cycle continues, the average Millennial will own at least 30 cell phones within his or her adult lifetime alone. Most will replace their phones within 18 to 24 months, even if the phone is still functional. Nety percent of American adults own at least one cell phone.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |