RECYCLING IN THE THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES

Recycling In the Third World Countries



INTRODUCTION

Have you ever wondered what happens to your old cell phone, television, computer or video player after being rejected? Every year millions of tons of electronic waste are exported to China and third world countries including Pakistan, India, Vietnam and several African nations (Stevens 90).

E-waste is discarded, broken and surplus electrical or electronic devices (and their parts) that due to the complexity of its components, can be harmful or even become toxic .

Also the waste generated in developing states is not efficiently recycled to conserve resources and cut-cost. Many developing states lack the proper infrastructure to recycle waste (Miranda 56). Many countries do not have the infrastructure to recover e-waste materials, which is why this type of waste sent to landfills overseas, because it is the cheapest way to get rid of anything. However, this destroys the ecosystem of those countries (Menell 311).

Responsible Recycling Practices (R2) is a new accreditation standard that holds companies responsible for recycling, provides a seal of approval for responsible recycling companies and waste management companies, protects employees over the supply chain, and protect people in the developing world who are exposed to e-waste.. Supported by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA for its acronym in English), R2 is a set of principles and specific practices that companies recycling, disassembly or claim of used electronic equipment (including those electronics that are exposed to re-manufacturing and recycling) should be adhered to. These guidelines encourage the establishment and use of a management system that covers environmental practices, worker safety and public health management plan and a downward flow of equipment and material at the end of its useful life. (EPA.gov, Responsible Recycling Practices, 2008) (EPA.gov, Responsible Recycling Practices, 2008)

Countries do not have the infrastructure to recover e-waste materials, which is why this type of waste sent to landfills overseas, because it is the cheapest way to get rid of anything. However, this destroys the ecosystem of those countries. The standard of Responsible Recycling is very rigid to ensure that a company has the necessary documentation to show who has the authority to export electronic waste to the country you are sending.

Objective of the study

The study aims to do a detailed study of the various recycling practices that are operational in the third world countries. It also aims to highlight the potential loopholes and areas that could be subjected to further development. Various constraints like budgetary, financial and environmental as well as legislative barriers that impede recycling also aim to be subjected to analysis.

OVERVIEW OF SOURCES

Libraries including online databases will be accessed to get the most relevant and updated literature. Some of the online databases that were used are: EBSCO, Emerald, Blackwell, etc.

The main conclusive data is the result of a thorough analysis of the material found online. The research involved analyzing the news postings on the web over a phase of years. The approach employed was reading the abstract or body of each ...