E-waste disposal is a growing global concern for most industrial settings. Currently, more than 50 metric tons of e-waste is produced every year, with such figure projected to increase due to the continued advancements in technologies and desire for new products. E-waste covers electronic and electrical equipment that is unwanted, broken, or outdated. For instance, elements like refrigerators, smartphones, desktops, and television sets form part of e-waste (Zeng et al., 2017). For most companies, scheduled hardware system upgrades imply the disposal of the existing systems and the purchase of new ones. In the end, such companies have large loads of e-waste to manage, hence the need for better control strategies. Globally, only 10% of e-waste is recycled or reused, with the remaining 90% of the waste being landfilled, traded illegally, or incinerated (Masud et al., 2019). Mishandling of e-waste during disposal leads to detrimental consequences on the air, soil, and water due to the pollution effects. Another critical concern in e-waste management is their exportation and dumping in low-income countries, with limited or no regulations on e-waste disposal.
E-waste disposal results in various negative effects for both humans and the environment. Electronic wastes have toxic elements like cadmium, lithium, lead, mercy, and barium, which are detrimental to human health. Such effects affect the human brain, liver, kidney, heart, skeletal system, and liver, thus disrupting the body's natural functioning. The body's nervous system is also affected by the presence of e-waste components within the environment (Masud et al., 2019). The reproductive system is also altered, leading to birth defects and poor health among infants. E-wastes also affect the soil detrimentally due to the formation of contaminants in the underlying soils. Crops planted near polluted areas have poor yield outcomes/ People feeding on such crops could get infections that affect their nervous, productive, breathing, and digestion systems.
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There are various ways in which managers can control the current problem resulting from e-waste. The first strategy that managers can use to control the problem is by donating their e-waste to social programs. Companies can donate their e-waste to children's safety programs or education initiatives, thus reducing the burden of having to dispose of them in environmentally unfriendly means. Through donations, companies can easily avoid the implications of having to illegally dispose of their wastes (Zeng et al., 2017). For instance, disposals require adherence to government regulations and standards, which could be difficult to meet. However, donations help a company improve its public image by creating good relations with various social organizations and the community in general. E-waste can also be donated to environmental causes, whereby they are used to ensure sustainable environments. For instance, components like landlines can be donated to game reserves both locally and internationally, thus helping in the conservation process. Donations can also include auctioning of unwanted components to help social programs like domestic violence victims, homeless societies, or children's homes.
The second recommendation for controlling e-waste is the re-evaluation of the buying strategies. In this case, companies must ensure that they buy products that are compulsory to the functioning of their organizations. For instance, managers can decide to purchase only those products that can perform different functions within the organizational paradigm (Rautela et al., 2021). Additionally, managers must evaluate if they need some gadgets, rather than practicing blind buying for any new electronics in the market. For instance, they can opt for software upgrades rather than purchasing new electronic components after every few years.
The other recommendation for controlling e-wastes is through the reduction of electronics' life. Managers must ensure that their electronics are well-maintained to ensure that they can last long. In essence, reducing the number of disposals also increases their control effectiveness because companies do not have to buy new electronics within short durations (Rautela et al., 2021). For instance, practices like overcharging laptop and smartphone batteries can increase their life. Additionally, keeping the devices in friendly environments is also crucial in ensuring that they last longer.
References
Masud, M. H. et al. (2019). Towards the effective E-waste management in Bangladesh: a review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research , 26 (2), 1250-1276. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-018-3626-2
Rautela, R., et al. (2021). E-waste management and its effects on the environment and human health. Science of The Total Environment , 145623. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969721006914
Zeng, X. et al. (2017). Examining environmental management of e-waste: China's experience and lessons. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews , 72 , 1076-1082. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032116306645
