Hernanz Lizarraga, C. (2021, August 27). How ‘Right to Repair’ Gadgets Is a Climate Issue. https://www.bloomberg.com/. Retrieved August 31, 2021, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-28/how-right-to-repair-gadgets-is-a-climate-issue-quicktake-ksvwtkvb

Life with technology is more difficult now than ever before. Years ago, we were able to swap out batteries in flip phones, but since everything is electronic now, the cost to repair a smart device can cost more than buying a new one. Because of that economical problem, it seems that the most logical solution is to discard the smartphone instead of fixing it. The leading cause of high numbers of electronic waste happens due to the option between a pricey repair or buying a new one for less.

I believe that it is a problem in the world of technology of having expensive repairs. If we changed the price of repairing smart devices, then we would have less electronic waste. I believe this article should reach tech companies and persuade them to change their greedy ways, which will ultimately benefit the condition of our world.

Freire, G. (2021, August 30). Brazil ranks fifth amongst countries producing the most electronic waste. The path toward a sustainable and equitable smartphone marketplace is through the sale of used and refurbished devices. https://sustainablebrands.com/. Retrieved August 31, 2021, from https://sustainablebrands.com/read/defining-the-next-economy/reducing-e-waste-increasing-equity-by-reimagining-the-brazilian-smartphone-industry

Brazil is the fifth country to produce the most electronic waste. An e-waste report by the World Alliance for the Statistical Control of Electronic Waste reveals that Brazilians discard much more electronic waste per person than the global average. For example, in 2019 2.1 million tons of electronic waste were produced in the country which meant around 22.4 pounds of e-waste was generated per person. If this goes on, it is estimated that the amount of global electronic waste will reach 74 million tons in 2030, almost doubling of e-waste in just 10 years. 

The article provides data on Brazil’s current standing with electronic waste production. I believe that this article should be a wake-up call to the inhabitants of Brazil. The amount of electronic waste is toxic to their environment and can ultimately bring some things into endangerment. 

Buchholz, K. (2021, February 25). The Countries Producing the Most E-Waste. https://www.statista.com/. Retrieved August 31, 2021, from https://www.statista.com/chart/24291/e-waste-by-country/

Electronic waste is a continuous huge problem worldwide. There was a phenomenal increase of generated electronic waste by each country around the world, in the year 2019. According to the Global E-waste Monitor, 53.6 million tons of electronic waste was produced worldwide. Ultimately, China took the lead on the largest producer with 10.1 million tons. The biggest factor in the rapid growth of e-waste is determined to be the decrease in the costs of appliances. 

This article provides information on the amount of electronic waste that was produced globally. It allows the reader to know what is going on in the world and enable thoughts of changing these harmful customs into their minds. Electronic waste contains toxic substances that affect our environment. I believe that we should reduce the amount of electronic waste we produce to save our environment from further damage.

Evans, D. (2020, December 26). Tech companies aren’t doing enough to keep their devices out of landfills, and neither are we. Retrieved February 15, 2021, from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/26/tech-companies-arent-doing-enough-to-fix-the-e-waste-problem.html

The article talks about how regardless of what tech companies are doing, they simply can’t do anything about the pressing electronic waste issue. They have to remain profitable and make money, while at the same time combating their waste issues. An example of this is how Apple no longer includes charging blocks. While they do this, they’re also releasing a host of new iPhones every year. Contributing to our growing electronic waste issue and showing that they aren’t truly doing anything.

I wholly agree with the author’s point of view. No matter what companies like Apple may do, we don’t have a solution to magically turn old electronic devices into new tech by efficiently recycling them. Recycling is energy-intensive and it’s not feasible to rely on recycling for smaller players in the electronic industry. Especially with all the factories in East Asia producing electronics without any sort of recycling commitment or quota. It’s just hard for companies to really make a difference.

Conversation, T. (2021, January 11). E-Waste management is not keeping pace with consumer electronics. Retrieved February 15, 2021, from https://www.ecowatch.com/ewaste-consumer-electronics-2649872499.html?rebelltitem=10#rebelltitem10

The article states as history have progressed technology has gotten leaner, and so has electronic waste. Meaning we’re producing less electronic waste, but we’re still producing it regardless of what we may think. This is because we have stuff like smartphones to replace other electronics and they reduce the need for a bunch of other consumer electronics. This makes it so our impact is a lower level as we aren’t buying things like mp3 players or cameras to go ahead and throw them away.

In my opinion, even though our tech has gotten more advanced and consolidated, we’re still buying more electronics. The culture of buying the next best thing or the new iPhone is very much a real issue. Regardless of how consolidated our tech gets, people will still be ready to buy the next generation. It doesn’t help that our culture relies on payment plans and financing to make it ultra-accessible to the people who may not have the wealth to frequently upgrade on cash. 

Paben, J. (2020, December 24). Stores pay millions in California hazardous waste disposal suits – E-scrap news. Retrieved February 15, 2021, from https://resource-recycling.com/e-scrap/2020/12/24/stores-pay-millions-in-california-hazardous-waste-disposal-suits/

The article highlights the present issue in our state regarding the irresponsible disposal of electronic waste. Companies like Walgreens who advertise responsible recycling services are in fact cheating customers and the environment. Walgreen’s is said to have dumped electronic waste in landfill trash rather than dismantling or outsourcing to a waste processing facility. This is dangerous and really bad for our environment.

This appalling article relates to the study of environmental science as it covers the bad players in keeping our environment clean. Companies like Walgreens contribute to the big picture of climate change and most of it is because of how they’re handling their electronic waste. I think the lawsuits were a proper solution to the issue, as it teaches them not to be lazy. I think the fines and reparations should be put towards cleaning the environment though.

Callie W. Babbitt, S. (2021, February 01). Electronic waste in the US is changing. Retrieved February 15, 2021, from https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/536768-electronic-waste-in-the-us-is-changing?rl=1

As society starts adopting new tech, people have to get rid of their old tech. A result of this is e-waste. The article states that there’s a fundamental issue with federal legislation on setting e-waste collection standards and regulations. Because of this, states like California with more progressive and green governments see stricter policies curbing e-waste. In California, we’re taxed on electronics like televisions, unlike other states. The article calls for a unification of e-waste legislation in the hope to curb the issue.

I honestly think the best way to combat e-waste isn’t legislation on a federal level. Rather an incentive to those that recycle responsibly. This would make it so people are more likely to recycle responsibly. Another solution would be to tax newer devices at a high level, encouraging people to sell their old electronics and give them new life. That way, on either side of the issue, introducing new devices or getting rid of old ones. People are acting right.

Cunningham, K. (2020, November 17). New study highlights the rise in e-waste during global pandemic. Retrieved February 15, 2021, from https://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/study-highlights-pandemic-drives-increase-e-waste/

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, companies are investing in new technologies. This short-term adoption of the aforementioned tech requires the removal of older devices. The issue presented by this is an increase in e-waste as companies transition to new electronic devices. We’re used to seeing e-waste as a result of people’s needs to upgrade, but now we’re seeing corporations participate massively in the e-waste issue. It’s only part of the process of keeping our economy and world running.

This article relates to environmental science because of the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on our state and the issue of e-waste. It’s great to see people being able to work from home, but the infrastructure involved in the processes of transitioning has a horrible impact on our environment. I think this issue could’ve been avoided easily if we had adopted work from home protocols much earlier, that way we wouldn’t have to replace our current devices with new ones.

Paben, J. (2020, March 13). A look at where California’s CRT glass is going. Retrieved September 09, 2020, from https://resource-recycling.com/e-scrap/2020/03/12/a-look-at-where-californias-crt-glass-is-going/

The article, A look at where California’s CRT glass is going, describes how less and less CRT glass is being sent to hazard waste landfills and instead to glass processors. Due to this, the glass processors have more leaded glass that they are forced to send to landfills instead of recycling it. Additionally, companies are making CRT use much less to avoid as much taxing, in 2012 companies produced 212 million pounds compared to 2019 companies produced only 90 million pounds. The amount of unprocessed hazardous waste disposal has trended downwards while the amount of hazardous waste going to intermediate processors has gone up. Because the number of CRT’s entering California is decreasing by so much, people likely will not invest in new CRT processing options.

This is related to Environmental Science because it talks a lot about how CRT (Cathode Ray-Tube) Glass affects the environment of California. It shows how we, as humans, need to become more serious about how we use our resources and what to do with hazardous materials that could damage the environment. My reaction to this article is shock because I did not know how much of an issue hazardous waste landfills are and how much hazardous waste there is in the first place. I thought the numbers were much much lower and they are very surprising to hear about. Additionally, how we dispose of these hazardous waste materials also surprised me because it does not seem efficient or good for our environment.