How are we doing so far?

Since everyone has posted several blogs, I think we have already quoted some interesting subjects and ideas. Nevertheless, we will have to search a lot deeper, with graphs and facts to fund our conclusions. I also think that we should give the audience a sort of image of ourselves and compare it with the other countries and continents like Gilles already did. I'm sure that there are a lot of interesting numbers and other materials to sketch our ecologic ranking. In addition to this, we could try to explain why the best countries or companies are performing that well and why the worst are lagging behind. Furthermore we could give some advice and discuss the most important certificates a company or country can acquire. I'm curious about your thoughts, am I maybe forgetting some relevant topics?

Emiel Lippens

The ones that didn't get away

As I mentioned in my previous blog, some European companies still try to avoid the costs of treating their own e-waste, by shipping it off to developing countries. Following their biggest investigation ever, the UK's Environment Agency have now charged four companies and 11 people with illegal export (violations against the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 2007 and the European Waste Shipment Regulations 2006).

 Let's hope that the verdict will send a clear message to the other "e-waste pirates" out there. This has now confirmed the seriousness of the allegations made earlier by Greenpeace. However, it's also a signal that the autorithies are on top of the problem. Now they only need to stay there.

Gilles Gerlo
(businessgreen)

Don't do anything by half

 A few times now, we've made the comparison between Europe and the U.S.A. The general idea is that Europe - especially the E.U. - is doing a lot more to prevent e-waste and are way ahead on the regulation.
Greenpeace however, are saying that the situation in Europe is less than ideal, with lots of hidden flows of e-waste. During their  Green Electronics Campaign, they've proven that some companies are shipping their used electronics to developing countries, under the guise of selling them as second-hand products. The waste is then actually sold to scrapyards.
So while the States still have a lot of ground to make up, they might start to think of a regulation that doesn't allow these kinds of loopholes.

Gilles Gerlo
(greenpeace.org)

What about Europe and Belgium?

With a view to our presentation and paper later this year, I thought it might be interesting to sketch shortly how Europe and in particular Belgium are handling with the growing problem of e-waste. Europe has waived the goal of collecting 4kgs of e-waste per person each year. The latest objective is to recycle at least 65% of all the electronic devices produced the last 3years. This is good news for the less developed countries, since they produce a lot less. In comparison to the rest of Europe, Belgium is not doing very well, we are now collecting an average of 8,2kgs each year, before 2014 that must increase with another 4kgs. (Envirodesk)

Emiel Lippens

Who Should pay?

Pike Research inquired the  people’s point of view on e-waste. They determined that three quarter of consumers found that recycling is the solution of our electronic disposal issue. The main question about recycling is: Who has to pay for it? Thirty-seven percent said it should be a free service but most producers did not accept recycling as their responsibility. I think that we have to split up the costs between the consumers, producers and the government. The government can give an allowance to the producers who make their process better. The authorities could also make a ranking and reward the best. The survey showed us that an average customer has 2.8 electronic product which he doesn’t use anymore. A remarkable and soothing statement is the stagnation of e-waste in 2015.

(news.cnet.com)

Tim Mannens

How can we stop the 'e-waste train'?

Laws differ from country to country. In the U.S.A. they differ from state to state (which confuses the consumers). As you can see in the graph above e-waste is becoming a bigger problem. It is a challenge to take measures that answer to the threats of e-waste these days and in the future.

E-waste recycling laws generally employ one of two types of programs:

• Producer take-back programs: Manufacturers are responsible for taking back discarded electronics. What doesn't mean to ship them. Programs like these are very popular in the European Union.
• Advance recovery fee: Consumers have to pay an amount of money when they buy the product, that money is used to recycle the product.

The situation in the U.S.A. ,however , stays poor. The regulations in the U.S.A. are insufficient.
Maybe an new international treaty could be a big move foreword. But such thing is difficult because it requires consensus between all the powerfull countries of the world.

(howstuffworks)
Stef De Visscher

E-waste prevention

In my opinion, e-waste prevention is more efficient than the regulation of e-waste recycling. First of all, you only have to buy the electronic appliances which you can use . Secondly, it is useful to have a long-winded description or idea of the product you want to buy but that is difficult to regulate. In addition, the only products that people must recycle are only the products that cannot longer be used. If a company sell and recycle the electronic appliance themselves, they will not have to use new resources for the new appliances and they will become cheaper. The government should stimulate the people to sell products with a sustainable design which means the use of renewable energy and materials or materials which are safer. But we must be careful that a country does not over regulate their industry so they will move away. The government has to find an equilibrium with the industrial sector.

earthconservation

wgbis

Tim Mannens

Buy Green Electronics

Recently, governments are stimulating consumers to purchase greener devices. By giving subsidies on green products, we are lead in a certain choice. Rewarding the eco-friendly and disadvantaging the more polluting companies, we are moving in the right direction. Producers must take this into account, if they want to secure a continuous success. As I said in my first post, eco-friendly companies get a better rate on the Electronics Company Recycling Report Card. Next to this evaluation method, there are plenty of other certificates and labels, published by various organizations and each judges a certain aspect. Products with a high overall score are subsidized and these with a bad score are repressed out of the market. Take a look at the accompanying article on the website of ETC, to see a more complete description of the labels and organizations. (Electronic Takeback Coalition)

Emiel Lippens

E.U. vs U.S.A.

Ok, there is a problem with e-waste, but whats being done? Disposing of e-waste has been a political issue for years. The first effort, to regulate the e-waste stream, was in 1989, when the Basel Convention passed. In particular the U.S. hasn't ratified it. The E.U. did even more than was expected from them. The E.U. require the manufacturers to provide take-back programs.

Despite the problems, not much is changed in the U.S. in all of these years. First the e-waste was shipped to Taiwan's processing zone. Even though the Taiwanese government put a stop to the trade, it only shifted the business to other countries. However, California and Maine have some of the most stringent recycling laws. Also some electronics manufacturers have their own recycling initiatives. Dell’s policy is that if the product isn’t working, they won’t export it to a developing country

(Frontline World)
Stef De Visscher 

Then do something about it!

In previous posts, I think we've pretty much established that e-waste has become a big problem all over the world, so who's doing something about it?
eWaste Recycling Solutions, located in Maine, make a virtue of necessity.
Up to 30 times a year, they collect enormous loads of old and-or broken electronic equipment, which then are demanufactered down to glass, plastic, metal, etc. at a 10,000-square-foot facility. A lot of these parts can then be sold to other bussinesses at a profit.
Shane Plumadore, one of the workers, said the work was fun to him, being able to check out some really old equipment. "Plus it's better here than being in a ditch or on the side of a road."
The company has existed for almost 5 years, and is already looking to expand.

Gilles Gerlo
(istockanalyst)

Sri Lanka’s e-waste program

As told in previous blogs, developing nations have to protect themselves against the increasing dumping of waste. Sri Lanka has searched for a solution of its e-waste problem: they want to force the importers of goods as electronics and refrigerators to sign a treatment. The main reason to lay the foundation of this program is the ignorance and the health care of the people who are exposed to the unsafe materials used in electronic goods. Collecting centres for discarded electronic goods will be founded and Sri Lanka will export its stocks to recycling countries. The people may also earn a living by providing their e-waste to collectors.

(dailymirror.lk)

Tim Mannens

So, where does it all go?

As mentioned in my previous blog governments are taking measure to decrease the e-waste stream. In reality the problem just moves to somewhere else. Low-income communities in developing countries remove the plastic from the copper and the precious metals in order to sell them. At the end of the day the toxic byproducts are dumped in the nature.

But movement is starting to happen. For example, the EU has a series of regulations aimed to limit the export of e-waste. China has something similar , they focus on banning the import of e-waste. Although illegal smuggling still occurs.

(youtube) 

(howstuffworks)

Stef De Visscher

Bahrain students promote "Green IT"

Following Tim's blog about e-waste laws, I stumbled across this article about a seminar organized by IT students in Bahrain. They also press the importance of e-waste regulation, especially the need of a law against the dumping of old computers.
The main subject of the seminar was the effects of e-waste, and ways to improve the situation through "green IT". The students proposed a few solutions, such as environmentally friendly computers, recycling of old computers and components and business initiatives, e.g. web meetings and paperless offices.
Guest speaker Admission and Registration Dean Dr Yusef Al Bastaki pointed out that IT is responsible for about 2 per cent of the global carbon emissions, that is as much as the amount of aeroplane emissions in the air. I was also kind of shocked to learn that a total of 1.8 tonnes of chemical are being used in the making of just one computer. That's a LOT!
(tradearabia)

Gilles Gerlo

E-waste law conquers the USA

New York has introduced its new e-waste law which will forbid the manufacturers to dump the used electronic devices and they have to have a program for collecting the electronic waste. The amount of goods which a company must recycle is determined by their market share. If they violate this new law, they will have to pay a fine that will be used to encourage this policy. The e-waste law doesn’t cover all the electronic household appliances like microwaves and washing machines aren’t included and that is the largest flaw. Oregon and California have also an e-waste law, in California the consumers pay an advance recovery fee for recycling these goods and a small part of the contributions is given to a charity.

(Earth991.com)

Tim Mannens

Batteries, could they reduce the e-waste stream?

Yes they can! One of the smallest components of your electric products can offer important long-term environmental benefits just by making them rechargeable or easily replaceable.
In this mass consumption culture the people will use electric products for a longer period if the batteries were easily replaceable. Even better are rechargeable batteries, they have a higher initial cost but eventually it can pay back to use them.

Moreover, the governments support this idea. In the USA the U.S. congress passed 'the Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery act'. Many products are thrown away on a landfill without the consumer removing the battery. The heavy metals contained in batteries and electronic devices can enter the nature through smokestack emissions or incinerator ash. This law obliges the producent that the battery should be easily removable so it could be recycled.
In my opinion it doesn't stop here, the institutional organisations should stimulate the consumer to recycle and inform them concerning the impact of their usage habits.
ECN, Taking batteries green

Stef De Visscher

Electronics Company Recycling Report Card

The best thing to do with your electronic devices to pollute as few as possible is taking really good care of it. But these products don’t live an eternal life. Electronics TakeBack Coalition has been pushing companies to offer a take-back program and get a higher score on the Electronics Company Recycling Report Card. This way, producers of electronic devices are responsible for the disposal of its products and get forced to make products with a longer lifespan. This might give a certain value to our paper, because it’s not a regulation imposed by a government. The report, published by Electronics TakeBack Coalition builds an image of the company, which is as important as obtaining certificates. (Forbes)

Emiel Lippens