The Travels of a Cell Phone - Where Might It End Up? By Pat Munro At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

I read an article recently about a group of students from U.B.C. who went to Guyana to investigate on e-waste. Their investigation centered on what happens to developed nation’s discarded and donated electronics. They surprisingly came across a hard drive containing information on multi-million dollar U.S. defense contracts. They purchased the device containing contracts from the Pentagon, The Department of Homeland Security and military contractor Northrop Grumman, it cost only forty dollars.

This got me thinking. Last year the city of Vancouver began an innovative recycling depot for all electronics. Seemed easy enough, except I soon found out that I cannot donate my television where I donate my computer and cell phone. That was a frustrating day. Having been told, time and again, not to leave anything on the hard drive when I am recycling my electronics, I downloaded a free program off the internet and erased everything off my computer’s hard drive. I forgot about my cell phone. I keep a lot of personal information, pictures and files stored on my smart phone. I never even thought about erasing that hard drive when I upgraded last month. I never even considered what happened after the recycling depot. Where my phone might end up and in whose hands? Let this story be a warning to all, erase everything including your cell phones, and talk to your local representatives about the evolution of your recyclables.

The export of e-waste is technically banned in international treaties, yet it more that often ends up on container ships heading to the developing world. The African continent is a popular dumping ground, as well as China and India. Many of us are unaware of the path of our e-waste. In Guyana particularly, parts that are still working could be sold at the market, while the rest ends up in a nearby dump. The dumps are essentially toxic wastelands where the ground is scorched. The children clamour through shards of plastic, metal and glass to retrieve copper wiring that they sell for less than fifty cents a kilogram. The remaing parts get burnt and melted down, creating toxic fumes and waste affecting tens of thoudsands of people.

At this moment there are thousands of pounds of electronic waste in our recycling depots across the province of B.C. Everyone wants to own the latest computer, television or cell phone, and the remaining electronics either get donated or recycled. If it is donated, it could end up in someone’s hands in your area, country or even half way around the world. If it is recycled, recycling stations are not yet able to completely breakdown most electronics and send leftover remnants to other stations in other countries to deal with at their whim.

Think next time you replace a cell phone or computer. You must erase any hard drives, computer and cell phone. Also, keep in mind where the old object will end up, and to who’s peril? Once it’s left your hands it’s easy to believe you’ve done your part to help Mother Nature. In actuality though, it takes a lot more resolve and research to truly make an impression on the world today. Good luck to us all.

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