Mar 23 2010
E-Waste
The concept I am undertaking is the exploitation of labouors in the dumping of e waste in 3rd world countries.
There are several current affair style and you tube videos on this issue but little in the way of academic journals. However the E-Waste Think Tank (2008) by Elizabeth Noble introduces a couple of writings on the subject that in many ways seems like a taboo subject.
Some of the interesting videos i have uncovered are from CBS aired on 06/11/08 and a You Tube video, made by Green Peace and uploaded in 22/02/2008. They visually introduce the subject and sensor it little so that people can see the problem and do something about it.
I found out that electronic companies such as Apple and Nokia are agreeing to use less hazardous chemicals in the making of their goods. This means that communities in India, China and Africa could be better off health wise as they strip and recycle these obsolete electronics but it does not introduce a solution to better recycling or discarding of them. Also the You Tube video, entitled Where does waste end up? discussed the differences in prices in recycling, with it costing $20 US to recycle in America and just $2 US to recycle in India, showing the attraction to the cheaper option.
This is just some of the stuff that I am finding out about this increasingly aggravating topic.
Noble. E, 2008, E-Waste Think Tank – Review and Synthesis, Canberra Environment and Sustainability Resource Centre
