Environment & Health Seminar: E-Waste Impacts In Our “Always On” Society

The world is the midst of a revolution brought on by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Global usage of the internet has risen from 17% in 2005 to over 53% or 4.1 billion people in 2019.  Electrical and electronic devices enable this usage, including our smart phones and all the wires, servers, cables, etc that connect the system. Rates of e-waste generation have been estimated at 44.7 million metric tons (tonnes) or 6.1 kg per capita in 2016  with an annual growth rate of 3 to 4%. E-waste contains a wide range of hazardous substances, many of which are essential to product functioning. E-waste collection is mandated for high income countries. However, some e-waste finds its way to low income countries either in whole or in dismantled components and low income countries are producing their own e-waste.

We have found that e-waste dismantlers in Ontario and Quebec, working in “formal” e-waste facilities, can have higher exposure to flame retardants than e-waste dismantlers in low income countries working in “informal” settings. However, families and communities in low income communities that handle e-waste are all exposed to hazardous substances due to uncontrolled burning and dumping of e-waste residuals. Much effort has gone into controlling the environmental carnage caused by e-waste. Ultimately, e-waste producers need to take responsibility for their devices rather than externalizing the human health and environmental costs of the growing mountain of e-waste.