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E-Waste Day: Do You Need That New Gadget?

Last year, our colleague at Nature Seychelles brought a carton full of old music CDs and asked, “Does anyone want these? I don’t want them to end up in the landfill if someone can use them.”

What followed was a search for someone to take the CDs off her hands. We thought it was an easy enough task—ask friends and neighbours and ask them to ask their friends. When that failed, we posted on social media. While a few people showed some interest, no one has come to pick them up. It’s been a year now.

The common theme among the people we asked was the lack of a CD player on which to play them. A hot item from the 1980s, CD players lost their shine with the advent of MP3 files and are no longer a “must-own” item. Nowadays, not even computers come with optical drives, which can allow one to play music CDs.

This begs the question: what happens to all the electronic items that become obsolete or go out of fashion? The cute answer is that people keep them as vintage items to make a profitable sale sometime in the distant future. The ugly truth, however, is that they are a part of the growing problem of electronic waste (e-waste).

October 14 is International E-Waste Day, a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about one of the fastest-growing environmental challenges.

At a time when technology runs nearly every aspect of our lives, sales of electronic goods have exploded worldwide as once luxury items become cheaper and more commonplace. The downside of this is that technology evolves fast and items are changed quickly. Correspondingly, the volume of discarded electronics has seen a dramatic rise.

According to the Global Waste Monitor, in 2022 the world generated 62 billion kg of e-waste, almost double what was produced in 2010, and seven times more than the world population!

Of this huge volume, about 22% is recycled in the formal sector. The rest ends up in landfills or is improperly disposed, leading to serious environmental and health issues.

Some e-waste is shipped off legally or illegally to developing countries. These countries often do not have the right infrastructure to recycle it and it ends up in landfills or uncontrolled dumping sites.

E-waste contains several valuable materials, and people, including children, who make a living from recycling trash in Africa and Asia, burn items to recover these materials, often without proper protection. Media attention has brought much-needed awareness to the e-waste epidemic in some countries, including in documentaries such as “E-Wasteland” and “Blame Game.”

Inevitably, the world will have to grapple with end-life management of electronic goods, and perhaps shift to products designed for longevity and recyclability.

As individuals, we can also take steps to reduce e-waste.

The battle for most people starts at purchasing. Before upgrading to the latest gadget, ask yourself if it’s really necessary. Extend the lifespan of electronics by repairing them or updating software. If they are still in working condition and are no longer needed, donate items or sell them in second-hand platforms. Once electronics reach the end of their life, it’s crucial to dispose of them responsibly. When in doubt, contact the relevant authorities to ask what you should do.