E-Waste – The environmental issue of the 21st Century (I) 

It is update time! In the past few posts, I shared about events of pollution in the global community. For the subsequent weeks, I will be focusing more on the local context. Today, I will be sharing about the problems of e-waste in Singapore. 

Does this look familiar to you? A day before the launch of the iPhone, large crowds of Singaporeans always gather outside the Apple Store in Orchard, queueing eagerly in line to purchase the new iPhone. 

Perhaps, you were one of them? If so, how did you dispose of your old phone? Did you recycle them, or did you throw them into the bin? 

If you dispose of your electronic devices into bins, you are disposing of them incorrectly. Let us examine what E-waste is and the problems of improper disposal. 

 

 

 

E-waste 

E-waste (Electronic Waste) is defined as “the disposal of broken or obsolete electronic components and materials” (Techopedia, n.d). According to a National Environmental Agency study, it found that Singapore generates 60,000 tonnes of e-waste a year (NEA, 2018). This is equivalent to the discard of 70 mobile phones by each individual (Boh, 2018). This figure is concerning, as the majority of the E-waste remains unrecycled, which might lead to negative impacts on society. 

Improper disposal 

3 out of 5 Singaporeans (60%) are uncertain of how to recycle E-Waste (NEA, 2018). Many Singaporeans find alternative methods of disposal, such as trading-in or reselling their electronic appliances. This is dangerous as hackers can easily retrieve our sensitive data and use it for illegal purposes (WCrecycler, n.d.). It is important to dispose of E-Waste properly to prevent our information from being stolen. 

How do you dispose of bulkier items, such as washing machines or refrigerators? Most Singaporeans pass them to deliverymen as they think of it as a proper method of disposal. In reality, deliverymen usually leave E-Waste at bin centres, which may up end up with informal collectors. These informal collectors or “garang gunis” lack the knowledge of maximising resource recovery from E-Waste and thus dispose of remaining components in bins after refurbishing the useful electrical parts for sale. Likewise, Singaporeans throw their E-Waste together with general waste in bins for convenience. 

However, E-Waste should not be thrown into bins as it is toxic in nature. When it is thrown in bins, it is incinerated, releasing hazardous substances into our environment, which pollute the atmosphere and cause health hazards such as lung cancers and liver damage (World Health Orgnization, 2017). Consequentially, our standard of living lowers as we inhale polluted air and incur medical costs as a result of our actions. 

Moreover, E-Waste is non-biodegradable and exists in our environment for a long time. If we continue accumulating E-Waste and disposing of them improperly, we may never reduce the amount of E-Waste. As Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister of environmental and Water Resources said: “E-waste is very toxic, people underestimate the toxicity of the e-waste that we dispose of and for the longest time we weren’t processing it”(Hong, 2018). It is imperative that we correct our consumption habits and recycle E-Waste properly before it’s too late. More than environmental considerations, there are also economic implications for tiny Singapore when a large number of wastes, including e-waste, are constantly generated. Hence, there is a strong and urgent need to improve our waste reduction and recycling efforts. 

Check back next week to find out what companies have done to mitigate the impacts and how we can do our part! 

 

References 

Boh, S. (2018). Singapore’s mountain of e-waste. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/singapores-mountain-of-e-waste 

Hong, J. (2018). E-waste is more pressing issue than plastics: Masagos. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/e-waste-is-more-pressing-issue-than-plastics-masagos 

NEA. (2018). NEA To Implement E-waste Management System For Singapore By 2021. https://www.nea.gov.sg/media/news/news/index/nea-to-implement-e-waste-management-system-for-singapore-by-2021 

NEA. (2018). Only 6 per cent of domestic e-waste ends up in recycling bins: NEA study. Retrieved from https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/three-five-spore-unsure-do-not-know-how-recycle-e-waste 

Techopedia. (n.d.) What is Electronic Waste (e-waste)? Retrieved from https://www.techopedia.com/definition/2108/electronic-waste-e-waste 

WCRecycler (n.d.).Careless E-waste Disposal Can Increase Likelihood of Identity Theft. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.wcrecycler.com/blog/careless-e-waste-disposal-increases-likelihood-of-identity-theft 

World Health Organization.(2017). Electronic waste. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/ceh/risks/ewaste/en/