In simple terms, e-waste is any electronic device or equipment that has been discarded. More specifically, the term covers the individual components of the discarded devices and appliances concerned, many of which can be recycled effectively if collected and processed correctly.
E-waste brings with it three main problems. One is the sheer waste of resources, many of which are costly to manufacture or use up limited natural resources such as cobalt in mobile phones. The second is that treating the waste can be highly complex because recovering individual materials from integrated designs is technically challenging. Finally, many of the materials in electronic devices can potentially pose a risk to health or the environment when devices degrade or are broken up unless they are dealt with appropriately.
Manufacturers could also play their role by making products that are more resilient, reducing the problem where users ditch devices simply because the weakest component has failed. They could also make it easier to replace individual components and recycle the old ones. In some parts of the world, regulations encourage or even enforce this approach.
There is also a responsibility on the part of authorities and providers of waste management services to put easy and accessible systems and facilities in place to effectively collect and recycle e-waste. This is where companies such as Imdaad come into the picture with collection points and community awareness initiatives.
In some cases, though, the key could be a change in consumer mindsets to use devices for longer and be more skeptical about the benefits of upgrading to the latest or most fashionable model.
While some manufacturers do work to make devices modular and easily repairable, simple economics can limit even good intentions. Many manufacturers have a core business model of selling new editions of devices to existing users. Built-in obsolescence can be a deliberate move, but also a result of trying to keep production costs down and reaching a more mass-market, budget-friendly audience. This often means there’s little incentive for manufacturers to make devices repairable rather than pack components into ever-smaller spaces with no way to safely and practically retrieve them later on.
Imdaad takes a broad approach to highlighting the issue of e-waste management, offering practical solutions for the residents of Dubai. Imdaad and Farz regularly run programs and events with collection points for unwanted devices in schools, community centers, and public places such as malls. Our Farz Materials Recovery Facility in Dubai ensures that unusable devices are disposed of and recycled as safely and efficiently as possible, drawing on its experience in separating and recovering individual materials.
At the same time, Imdaad educates and encourages people who are disposing of e-waste to do so in a responsible way. This includes highlighting the issues and dangers surrounding e-waste and promoting alternatives such as repairing and reusing devices where possible.
E-waste is an inherently complex problem and that means there are no simple answers. Imdaad believes that solutions are available with the right incentives, though that will require a society-wide approach involving consumers and businesses changing behavior and mindset. For its part, Imdaad is committed to promoting responsible recycling and e-waste reduction, sharing its experience of using technology to handle e-waste safely thereby reducing landfill and environmental risks.