Waste is the by-product of our life. No matter how much we hate them, they are inevitable. But how messy these wastes can make our lives totally depend upon how efficiently we manage them. Among different types of wastes, a type of waste, most people are unfamiliar with, is e-waste. If it is the first time you are coming across this term, you also unknowingly contribute to it quite frequently.
Why I am writing this article is, people should know about how big a problem e-wastes could be, how they can be managed by users, how the big tech or rather electronic companies are contributing to this problem, and finally, how we can take a step back, and try to make this planet greener. But I will predominantly emphasize how the big companies are adding to e-waste because we consumers, should know it.
So, without any further delay, let’s get started with this serious topic step by step.
What is e-waste?
E-waste or Electronic waste refers to all the unnecessary electronic gadgets at our homes, offices. These include damaged, as well as working electronics, but are no longer useful, maybe because they belong to the previous generation, or they are obsolete, and we just lost interest in using them.
Just, for example, the phone that you have used in the school day, the DVD player at your home, or the CRT TV, music systems, fans, LEDs, printers that are no longer used, are examples of e-waste. Furthermore, unsold electronics at stores also fall under the category of e-wastes as they are not useful to us in any way.
Why is e-waste a problem today?
Just like every other waste, e-waste is a problem, as well. Unlike bio-degradable wastes, these wastes don’t degrade for years. Additionally, electronic gadgets hide in harmful chemicals like mercury, lithium, in batteries; cadmium, lead, etc., which are highly toxic to all living beings including humans.
When these electronic gadgets are thrown off and stay in contact with soil, and water, microscopic parts of these toxic chemicals get in touch with the groundwater contaminating the same. This process is also called leeching. Now that it has come in contact with the groundwater, this eventually contaminates the other freshwater bodies in close vicinity.
This might not look like a big problem at first glance, but as e-wastes have blown up in the last few years, the concentration of these chemicals too, has increased, and it is affecting the flora and fauna. If e-wastes keep ballooning at the current rate, we and other species will be exposed more to these toxic chemicals above the safe levels that will lead to serious illnesses.
So, this is the inherent problem with e-wastes. But, the big electronic companies keep on adding e-wastes, without promoting proper e-waste management, which makes the future with e-wastes really gloomy. I understand, at the recent pace of technology, new appliances turn outdated very fast. But the piling of e-waste isn’t always the result of technological advancement. I will talk about how.
How big electronic companies are adding to the e-waste problem?
There is not just one way the big electronic companies are making the e-waste problem more problematic. Let’s talk about them one by one.
The conspiracy of planned obsolescence
A few years ago, tech giant Apple was accused of slowing down older iPhones. As per the company, they intentionally slowed down the old models as Lithium-ion batteries are incapable of delivering enough power while executing demanding processes that can lead to unexpected shutdowns.
The slowing down was simply to keep the iPhones working normally, as per the statement made by the company. Later on, we also saw other phones that get slowed down after an update. Even though companies don’t accept it, but the slowing down of the phones is simply used as a tool to promote and make the users purchase the newer model available, and eventually drive sales. This deliberate attempt to limit the use of old appliances to sell the new ones is called planned obsolescence, as the companies have pre-planned how long the consumers can use the product.
I must not accuse Apple of discovering this thing, as there were incidents in the past that refer to the same practice. One that dates back to the 1920s was the Phoebus cartel that tried to control the sale of electric bulbs using the same technique.
Users don’t want to use a sluggish device, and when their devices, say the phones become slow, they are eventually compelled to get a new one to maintain the user experience. However, if the phone wasn’t intentionally slowed down by the manufacturer, which, however, they never accept, the same phone could have been used longer, at least 6 more months, if not more. The way they are compelling the customers to buy new devices is eventually adding to e-waste.
Promotion of exorbitant use-and-throw products
Most smartphone companies these days are removing the 3.5 mm headphone jacks, and we are compelled to use the wireless earphones and TWS, which are simply use-and-throw devices. This is because in most of these devices the battery could hardly be replaced. Not just batteries, if these devices malfunction beyond the warranty period, they couldn’t even be repaired. So, we have to throw them away, and buy a new one, adding to e-waste.
These are not just adding to e-waste, which is already a problem, but the use-and-throw items are also wreaking havoc on our expenses. Previously, electricity bills, internet, and water bills, or monthly insurance premiums used to be recurring expenses. But today, purchasing electronic gadgets are also coming under the category of recurring expenses, thanks to planned, and perceived obsolescence, and the promotion of use-and-throw items. Aren’t they? We should think of it.
Unrepairable products. We should have the right to repair
Most manufacturers these days, especially the smartphone manufacturers are building the gadgets in a way that is terribly hard to repair. For the first year of purchase, it is the manufacturer’s responsibility. But after that, even though we have the option to get cheap repairs elsewhere, the companies don’t want that.
As the devices can’t be repaired in unauthorized repair centers, the companies charge heavily for offering even the smallest repairs. In this situation, most users consider it to be a better deal to get a new device, turning the damaged one into e-waste.
Most smartphones today are designed in a way that they will stop working after a cheap repair. Even though I am against the use of counterfeit components during repairs, but not everybody has the budget to afford costly repairs, which the companies should do. Microsoft has promised to support the right-to-repair campaign, and in the future, we can expect Microsoft products that will be easier to repair.
This is the reason, the right-to-repair campaign is gaining pace, in which, the consumers seek their right to get cheap repairs if the manufacturers can’t deliver affordable repairs.
Perceived obsolescence
Just like planned obsolescence, where the manufacturers decide how long will we use our gadgets, they also trick our mind to think our existing gadgets are pieces of crap when they actually aren’t. The companies market their new line of products so aggressively that we think, if we don’t have it, we can’t go out in public out of shame.
Sometimes the brands market some fancy unnecessary features that are not there on our existing devices, making us think, we are using electronics of the Jurassic era. A complete story can be written on how planned obsolescence is used by companies to create hype for their new products. As we fall into this trap, we tend to buy new gadgets turning our existing ones into e-waste, and creating a mess again.
One example is how the smartphone manufacturers today are using 5G as a marketing gimmick. Even though 5G might roll out in India in 2022, those manufactured back in 2020 will hardly support the 5G that may come in India. So, those who got a new 5G smartphone back in 2020, even though their existing 4G devices were working perfectly fine, were trapped by some false promises made by the companies through marketing overdrive. They might have to get a new 5G device again, when it is will be available. Isn’t it adding to the e-waste problem!
Is it difficult to deal with the e-waste problem?
Dealing with any kind of waste is a problem. When it comes to e-waste, it is even more difficult. Unlike other varieties of waste, not every electronic waste is the same. An electronic appliance has different components within, and the key challenge lies in separating the components to reuse them in new electronics.
Different tools and mechanisms are necessary to separate these wastes that involve more labor and machines that add to the costs. It is the reason why manufacturers don’t promote e-waste management. Sometimes the components that are derived from these wastes are also of inferior quality, and can hardly be reused. So, yes, it is a problem to manage the e-waste problem, but it is the need of the hour, for our environment.
What can we as consumers do, to eradicate the e-waste problem?
Unfortunately, we have very little to do in tackling the e-waste problems. If companies are using tactics like planned obsolescence to make our gadgets run short, patience is the key. We can keep using the appliance for a few more months, before getting a new product.
Even though companies do not promote e-waste management, most major tech companies or manufacturers deal with them. You can find more information by visiting the manufacturer’s website. The section will not be highlighted though, and you might need to navigate to the bottom of the page to know the e-waste policy. Most major tech companies will also accept your old electronic gadget in exchange for some pennies. However, you will not win a jackpot by giving your electronic waste to these companies, as dealing with these e-waste materials is indeed expensive, which I already discussed in the last point.
The e-waste problem needs to be managed efficiently. The resources on our planet are finite. We can’t allow the big tech companies to misuse the resources by fooling us. Not just that, getting a new variety of the old appliance every year might be exciting, but that isn’t a healthy habit. Getting a smartphone shouldn’t be a yearly recurring expense, and the tech companies shouldn’t control our finances using psychological tricks and pile up e-waste. Only we, the consumers can bring in the change and will do it.
So, that was all. Do you want to add anything? Please comment it down below.
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