The Environmental Impact of Cellphones

environmental impacts of cellphones and e-waste

Many of us can relate to excitingly waiting for the newest versions of our smartphones to come out. But what happens to the phone you were using? Do you sell it? Do you donate it to an organization for it to be recycled? Do you stick it in a drawer and forget about it?

Studies show that the average cellphone owner has two phones they do not use.  Whether this is because newer versions are released often or your current phone just didn’t last long enough, this creates electronic waste, better known as e-waste. E-waste impacts the environments of producers, consumers, and discarders around the world.

The materials used in cellphones have a high environmental impact.  A 0.07-ounce microchip uses 66 lbs. of materials, including water and toxic chemicals, and one ounce of gold alone creates 80 tons of waste. The amount of material produced is beyond significantly less than the waste generated to make these materials. The question of whether there are more environmentally friendly ways to produce these materials with less waste arises.

Other materials found in e-waste include lithium, tin, tungsten, chrome, tantalum, glass, aluminum, and plastic.  These materials build up in a landfill and ultimately are removed from the substance by a percolating liquid; this process is known as leaching. Leaching affects soil and leads to groundwater contamination, introducing toxins into the environment and affecting the health and safety of residents.

When we sell our phones to companies with buy back programs or throw them away, we do not always know where they end up and the damage that they can cause. Often, cellphones no longer in use are sent to different parts of the world where they are dumped or broken down for their parts.  They usually end up in Africa or Asia for the residents there to deal with growing landfills, toxic chemicals, and groundwater contamination.

Phones donated to other countries by percentage:

  • 31% Nigeria
  • 15% Romania
  • 15% South Africa
  • 11% Kenya
  • 10% Hong Kong
  • 7% Ghana
  • 7% Congo

In terms of e-waste pollution in the United States, a University of Florida study focusing on 12 different types of electronic items found that leached lead concentrations were well above the EPA threshold for categorizing waste as hazardous.

If a cellphone is simply thrown away, all of the materials, effort, and money spent in production and by the consumer are also discarded. Instead of living in a “throw away” culture, there should be a shift toward alternative uses and solutions for electronics.

By donating, selling, or breaking down the cellphone, it can be reused or recycled, which can reduce the environmental impact of owning a cellphone. Of total recycled phones, 60% can be upcycled and donated to others around the world, lessening the environmental impact.

What do you do with old cellphones you no longer use? Do the consequences of electronic waste make you reconsider what to do with a cellphone no longer in use? Do you think that the people of the United States would make more of an effort to reduce e-waste if landfills were filling up in their own country instead of abroad?

 

 

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