Recycling waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), or E- waste as we popularly know it, is the new in thing in the corporate world. All corporate bodies have some amount of electronic garbage going out, no matter how large or small they are.
Toshiba is leading a free recycling program, in a most innovative way, wherein the company takes in all your e-waste and makes sure that they are processed through proper recycling and disposal mechanisms. This recycling program is termed ‘free’ because there is no obligation for the depositor, or rather the recycler, to buy any Toshiba products. Moreover, recyclers have the option of bringing in used products for cash.
Recyclable electronic waste is called a ‘commodity’ while e-waste which cannot be reused or recycled is called ‘waste’. Both the types of e-waste are toxic to the environment and non biodegradable. E-waste contains toxic substances like lead, mercury and cadmium and coatings used in insulation etc. If treated properly, electronic waste can be used for secondary raw materials. Laws and legislation regarding proper disposal of e-waste are still being formulated in most parts of the world. Most e-waste from developed countries are disposed off to the third world countries which find use for it, but their recycling and reusing procedures are not stringent enough to handle proper disposal. E-waste is usually disposed into landfills, and that creates an unsustainable management system. A protocol on management of e-waste, that is applicable worldwide, is the need of the hour.
Image
Source: ENN