Electronic Waste Essay

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1.0 Introduction
Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest growing contributors to the nation’s waste stream. Waste can generally be defined as any material or substance that is of no further use and has been discarded. E-waste in particular is the waste of electrical and electronic equipment that is dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to function (including all components, subassemblies and consumables which are part of the original equipment at the time of discarding) .
This report will outline the development of e-waste as an environmental issue then highlight both the environmental impacts and the economic impacts of e-waste. An analysis of historical attempts in addressing the issue will then be discussed followed by suggestions and recommendations for the consideration of the Australian Government’s Senate Committee on the Environment.
2.0 Development of the e-waste
Rapid changes to technology in the past few decades have led to a dramatic increase in the production of electrical goods and equipment. To stay up to date in this technological age, consumers have constantly upgraded their electronics to replace and discard the outdated ones. Moreover, economies of scale have balanced over time to lower the prices of many electrical goods, further increasing the demand for these products.
In a 2009 study by the Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC), in the years 2007 to 2008, of the 16.8 million computers that reached their potential ‘end life’, only 1.5 million were recycled (< 9%) with the remainder being sent to landfill or storage. It is predicted that by 2028 the amassed volume of computers and televisions that reach the end of their useful life is expected to reach ove...

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...e framework to manage waste disposal on a voluntary, co-regulatory and mandatory basis. The Government should implement a mandatory compliance to the legislation on companies that generate a certain amount of revenue from electronics and electrical equipment in Australia.
Lastly, Australia is currently underutilising its existing recycling facilities. These facilities can be promoted for use to manage the recycling of e-waste without increasing any capital costs. It is estimated that our nation currently recycles just 4% of its e-waste, compared to Japan which recycles over 80%. Only 20% capacity is currently being used of all the recycling facilities around Australia. By promoting the collection of e-waste and processing these through our recycling facilities, we will not only manage the growing issue at hand, but also make our current facilities more efficient.

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