Did you just switch your cellphone to the latest series? How often do you change your computer and laptop? The new High Dynamic Range TV has launched on market, are you interested? After changing so many electronic product and appliances, where do these electronic wastes go?
E-waste won't disappear without reason; no matter been burned and transferred into dioxin or been recycled to renewable resources, it will finally come back to human beings. The UN says that E-waste is one of the most growing wastes in developing countries and developed countries.
In the expanding E-waste, cellphones account for more that we think. Due to virulent price competition, silent change, and recycled material issues, the life cycle has shortened apparently. Most E-waste will be delivered to developing countries like Asia and Africa. Resident will burn the E-waste directly without any protect to get the gold or silver. They are doing this for living, which is really sad…
Recently, IBM discovers a way to turn toxic cellphones into medical-grade plastic, which can improve the E-waste issue. Polycarbonates will leach BPA while decomposition, which affects the human’s endocrine and brain. The new recycling process can turn the polycarbonates used to make cellphones, CDs, and LED screens into a nontoxic plastic that's safe and strong enough for medical use. This technology can even been utilized in fiber optics application.
As the Rio 2016 Olympics just end, 2020 Tokyo Olympics is under preparing. Japan Olympic Committee claims they will use recycle material from E-waste to build medals in 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Japan is not a country full of resource, but she can acquire rich resource from E-waste every year due to practical recycle. The environment issue can be attached great importance through the Olympics.
We should pay more attention to E-waste issue, since we have only one Mother Earth. Before you buy electronic items, focus on the quality and think twice.
Let's start to make our earth better.