Thanks to its inaugural success last year, the second International E-Waste Day will be observed on October 14, 2019. The day is meant to raise awareness for proper disposal of electrical equipment and electronic devices worldwide.
The International E-Waste Day was developed by Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum to promote reuse and recycle practices. Consumers are encouraged to proactively increase rates of repairing appliances for recovery and reuse, recycling devices and properly disposing of electronics.
Related: Lawmakers are pushing gadget manufacturers with the Right to Repair movement
Consumption of computers, phones, other digital devices and household appliances continues to grow rapidly. Often replaced and discarded, this electronic waste, or e-waste, is a big problem for the planet.
Ecological repercussions accompany the heightened demand for electronics. Producing this technology exacerbates mining and depleting natural reserves to procure raw materials. E-waste accumulates, threatening the environment with toxic pollution and contamination hazards. The mess can only be alleviated with plans that enable reuse, repair, resale and recycle initiatives.
Global estimates project 50 million tons of e-waste will be generated this year. But only a fifth of that will be recycled, while the rest is placed in landfills, burned or illegally treated. Consequences include tremendous losses to valuable supply chain materials. Moreover, negative health, environmental and societal issues arise from irresponsible e-waste management.
Collectively, the WEEE Forum implements high-quality standards for e-waste “collection, handling, storage, transport, preparation for reuse, processing and disposal.” Its proprietary software allows member groups and partners to document recycling and recovery quotas to benchmark operations. Similarly, the nonprofit has provided policy recommendations for improved optimization across its member groups.
This year, the International Telecommunications Union, a United Nations agency, is partnering with WEEE Forum to ensure global reach. More than 100 member organizations across 40 countries worldwide are expected to join in on activities as part of the second International E-Waste Day.
Pascal Leroy, director general of the WEEE Forum, said, “There are many countries worldwide that are currently in the process of implementing e-waste legislation. We are therefore very pleased to have participants from six continents involved in this year’s International E-Waste Day.”
Established in 2002, WEEE Forum addresses broadscale e-waste management. The nonprofit is the largest multinational organization harmonizing exchanges of best practices and knowledge on e-waste operations (collection, logistics and processing). To date, the WEEE Forum encompasses 36 producer responsibility groups from 25 countries. Representing the United States, at the moment, are Tennessee’s TERRA (The Electronics Reuse & Recycling Alliance) and Michigan’s VCER (Valley City Electronics Recycling).
Whether you repair, reuse, resale, recycle or just spread the word this International E-Waste Day, don’t forget to do your part for the planet.
Image via Volker Glätsch
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