Eight Years Later

Having stumbled across this article  today, it made me think on how e-waste policy has formed in developed countries, and if we give more thought to it now then we did in 2002, when the article was written.

It seems that the issues concerning e-waste are essentially the same as in 2002: there is a lack of awareness on proper disposal methods of electronics, and businesses and residents alike are relatively apathetic to the cause. It is also surprising to see calls for producer responsibility in managing waste haven't changed since then, and there are still very few producers taking responsibility for the waste that they produce each day (HP is an exception).

The article also touches on the problem of donations and resale. Although these practices are morally sound, school boards seldom have any policy describing what happens to computers and other electronics after they are shipped out, so the piece of equipment ends up in a landfill.

Schools all over the world are increasingly using technology in education

Reflecting back eight years however, begs the question: have we learned from, and improved our waste disposal methods since 2002? The answer is a weak yes. Although awareness of the issue has increased since then, it hasn't increased substantially, and there is a huge amount of work still to be done. A cultural shift must be made in order to really have an impact on how much consideration people put in to disposing of their used goods.

However, one thing is certain: in 2018 if things haven't improved, then there will be little hope for the future.

Keep e-volving.