THE ISSUE:

It is common knowledge that the demand for hand-held devices like cell phones and other
electronics like tablets and laptops has increased rapidly in the past few years. In fact,
production of electronic devices is the fastest-growing sector of the manufacturing industry of
industrialized countries (Schwarzer, 2005). The increased demand for gadgets that provide
convenience, accessibility and flexibility (Schwarzer, 2005) have been prioritized over cleaner,
longer-living and recyclable devices (Schwarzer, 2005). These wants, coupled with the obsessive
need to have the absolute best and newest products out on the market, mean many perfectly
useable devices are being thrown into the nearest drawer and going to waste, or worse, being
thrown into the local landfill and causing environmental damage.
The 20-50 million tonnes of electronic device waste (e-waste) sent to the landfills every
year poses a threat to human health as well as the environment worldwide (Schwarzer, 2005). On
the one hand, electronics are composed of complex materials that can be both valuable and/or
toxic (including metal), and often contain several hundreds of different substances (Schwarzer,
2005). If disposed of improperly, these toxins can seep into the environment and cause serious
pollution. Heavy metals include mercury, cadmium, chromium and flame-retardants like PBBs
and PBDEs (Schwarzer, 2005), which not only pose threats to human health and the
environment. These are raw materials that can be recovered and reused. Stopping electronic
scrap from ending up in landfills can decrease the need for raw materials to be manufactured
(RecycleMyCell) as well as conserve natural resources and promote sustainable production
(Schwarzer, 2005).
Concerned citizens like myself that live in industrialized nations like Canada or the US
may be worried about the environmental effects that occur when we pile up or landfills with
electronic waste containing toxic chemicals, however what is not publicly understood is that our
e-waste is affecting many more lives and has a much larger environmental impact than we ever
knew. According to a USA EPA report in 2000, an estimated 4.6 million tonnes of e-waste ends
up in the landfill, which actually ends up being exported/dumped in developing nations like India
(Schwarzer, 2005). Obsolete devices from industrialized nations are dumped in developing
nations as either charity or just plain garbage (Schwarzer, 2005). This frees developed nations
of having to deal with and properly dispose of their e-waste, but it also adds to the waste in these
developing nations whose waste management practices are still primitive and posing
environmental and health problems on their own (Shwarzer, 2005)! In 2004, a report by Toxics
Link stated that e-waste recycling operations in developing nations are causing problems for the
local environment, employees of these operations, and the public. The underdeveloped and
unsafe machines are pumping gases, acidic solutions, toxic smoke and contaminated ashes into
the air and putting both humans and the environment at risk (Schwarzer, 2005).
In conclusion, if we were to abandon our materialistic need for the smallest and best
electronics out there (which on average only lasts 2 years), and become more aware about what
is actually in the product we use everyday then we can make wiser decisions about our own
health! By learning where our electronics come from, where we think they go when we are
done with them, and where they actually go, then we can invest in cleaner, longer-living and
recyclable products that both satisfy our needs and are not harmful to the environment!

MY ACTION:
For my environmental action, I properly disposed of/recycled eight cell phones I found
lying in a junk drawer at my house. I chose this issue because the more I learn about
environmental issues, the more concerned I become about waste production and the toxic things
that end up in our landfills. After doing some research I learned about RecycleMyCell, Canadas
free recycling program for mobile devices and accessories (RecycleMyCell). The program is
straight-forward and informed me that recycling wireless devices decreases the need for raw
materials that would otherwise be needed for manufacturing new products (RecycleMyCell).
RecycleMyCell is lead by Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association and sends all
phones/accessories to certified processing facilities to be evaluated. Based on its usability, the
phone/accessory will either be resold or broken down and properly managed. What is important
is that they stay out of the landfill (RecycleMyCell)!
I felt relief that my family just stored away our old cell phones and did not throw them in the
garbage, which gave me the opportunity to do the right thing and bring them somewhere to be
properly disposed of. I followed the easy instructions and found a drop off location near my
house. They were happy to take all eight phones and said it didnt matter that they were old
generations of Samsung, Mac, etc., because the materials inside are the same and could be reused
again.
My action was personal and gratifying in many ways. Not only did I clean out a cluttered
drawer, but I saved eight cellphones that hold reusable materials from ending up in the landfill.
With research I learned the real importance about not throwing away these toxic-ridden gadgets
as it is not only harmful to the local environment, but it could end up across the world in a
developing nation and cause environmental problems on a global scale.

Drop off location on Pembina Hwy.

Me (left) submitting my cellphones to be recycled!

(I brought the plastic bag home with me to use again)
References
Canada's free recycling program for mobile devices and accessories. (n.d.).
Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.recyclemycell.ca/
Hageluken, C. (2006). Improving metal returns and eco-efficiency in electronics recycling - a
holistic approach for interface optimisation between pre-processing and integrated metals
smelting and refining. Proceedings of the 2006 IEEE International Symposium on
Electronics and the Environment, 2006.
Schwarzer, S., De Bono, A., Giuliana, G., & Kluser, S. (2005). E-waste, the hidden side of IT
equipment's manufacturing and use. United Nations Environment Program. Retrieved
March 20, 2016, from http://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:23132