Developing countries often face criticism for poorly handling imported e-waste, but the rot extends to highly developed nations, too. Numerous studies have exposed, criticized, and sanctioned the participants for bypassing waste traffic laws, and exporting and importing large quantities of damaged electrical goods disguised as donations. Only small percentages of these so-called donations are eventually recycled or salvaged; the majority end up in landfills for crude, highly inadequate, and detrimental processing (Basel Action Network, 2021)

We are only waking up to the true cost of improperly disposed electronic waste in our daily lives, and the outlook is grim. To fully grasp the scale of this issue, we must identify the context of e-waste.

What Exactly is E-Waste (and What Isn't)?

Electronic waste (e-waste) includes used or damaged electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), such as phones, batteries, toasters, ovens, and cables—essentially anything with a plug and/or batteries. E-waste does NOT include mechanical devices like typewriters or clocks, chemicals, and some bulbs. 

When e-waste is recycled or degraded, it breaks down into glass, metals like gold, copper, and silver, plastics, and poisonous materials such as lead, cadmium, and acid. Added to this list are toxic fumes which get released into the atmosphere discussed later in this article. 

How Doomed Are We?—The Current Reality of E-Waste Accumulation 

Metaphorically, we’re at least 70% doomed. 

In 2022, we generated 62 billion tonnes of e-waste globally, approximately 8,700 football fields! Out of all these, only 13 billion tonnes, 23% of the globally accumulated e-waste, were properly accounted for and recycled. By 2030, we will be sitting pretty on about 82 million tons of toxic tech waste predicted by The Global E-Waste Monitor. This informative study helps us to shape our future decisions surrounding e-waste handling.  

Some corporations have implemented preventive measures to mitigate this problem. For example, Apple's decision to remove chargers from new iPhones has reportedly prevented 861,000 metric tons of waste since 2020.  While this is a significant amount, it still represents less than 1% of annual global e-waste. 

The tragic irony? Discarded electronics contain $10 billion worth of recoverable precious metals yearly, reported the UN E-Waste Coalition, 2023. However, about 90% of these valuable materials end up in landfills like in Agbogbloshie, Ghana. Meanwhile, more resources for manufacturing electronics are extracted from places like Congo, Brazil, Peru, and Ghana amongst many others across the globe. 

The illusion of unlimited resources highly favors overproduction and irresponsible recycling or disposal of e-waste, leading to environmental hazards, unnecessary loss of resources, and natural mineral depletion. Efforts to combat e-waste disposal are futile when compared to the insatiable supply of modern electrical products.

The Impacts of Irresponsible E-Waste Shipment and Disposal on Climate

The result of poor waste management affects us daily in ways that collectively disrupt healthy and happy living such as the following:

• Dangerously Increased Temperatures 

Reckless e-waste burning releases heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) directly into the atmosphere. For instance, burning an ordinary wire produces black carbon, a gas that absorbs 1,500 times more sunlight (and heat) than carbon dioxide. Even worse, expelling coolants (HFCs) from discarded refrigerators can trap up to 9,000 times more heat for over 20 years. A study published in Nature Climate Change found that informal e-waste recycling in Ghana and China emits 5 to 10 times more CO₂ per unit than formal recycling methods.

The result of this is truly fierce. In New Delhi's slums, where e-waste burning is common, summer temperatures now regularly hit 48°C (118°F). In 2022, The Lancet reported a 30% increase in heatstroke deaths during heat waves, to the extent that mortuaries run out of space, which could be linked to the heat surge from poorly processed e-waste over time.

• Unbreathable Air in Slums

People living around e-waste dumping sites are usually at the forefront of the crises. In Ghana, workers burn overwhelming amounts of e-waste daily, releasing toxic fumes into the air. It wasn’t long until researchers linked the increasingly occurring respiratory and circulatory deficiencies in children to the improper treatment of electronic waste. 

Ghana Environmental Protection Agency revealed unhealthy air quality in Agbogbloshie often exceeding WHO safety limits by more than 20 times when processing is in vogue. Given that most e-waste workers live below the poverty line, adequate healthcare to help reverse possible long-term effects is limited, which only emphasizes the impact of e-waste importation. 

• Unpredictable Weather Conditions

Agricultural workers rely on climate predictability, amongst other factors, to plan, plant, and harvest successfully. If suddenly these plantations face prolonged drought or periods of rainfall, yields are critically affected resulting in food scarcity. 

Blaming irresponsible e-waste processing for the unpredictable climate is well-deserved. Regularly burning electronics and releasing greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere alters rainfall patterns. Lagos and Delhi, infamous for importing electronic and electrical waste, often experience this problem.  

• Acid Rains 

Acid rains develop when highly reactive chemical compounds react with water vapor. Undoubtedly, these dangerous pollutants are produced by continuously burning or liquefying electrical appliances in large amounts over time. The consequences are not often instantaneous, rather, they slowly develop impact over time. 

Acid rains are highly damaging to vegetation, soil fertility, and land dwellers. Areas majorly affected by these rains often become barren or polluted, forcing their residents to seek greener pastures. Take China, for example. Researchers found elevated amounts of blood lead in children living in Guiyu. Speculations link the high blood levels to unknowingly drinking acid-rain-polluted water over time. 

The recovery period for acid-rain-polluted areas usually depends on how quickly the problem is mitigated. Still, some grounds hardly regain their full fertility. And it might take even longer to recover economic losses, especially in developing nations.  

How Responsible Tech Disposal Supports Climate Action 

Frankly, encouraging responsible e-waste disposal alone might be ineffective in combating our electrical waste problem, especially as it is today. But while we’re at it,  here’s how good e-waste disposal can positively impact our climate:

• Stabilizes Atmospheric Conditions

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions can significantly improve and stabilize the atmosphere. Our farmers can better adapt to unfavorable climates to ensure bountiful harvests, leading to long-term economic growth.

• Encourages Afforestation

Improper recycling of e-waste often leads to deforestation around landfills where harmful chemical processing occurs. The result is often not instantaneous or by itself impactful, but can lead to severe climate and environmental consequences such as floods and high levels of carbon dioxide. By regulating the import of excessive e-waste and promoting better recycling practices, we can preserve more green spaces, which are essential for maintaining healthy ecosystems.

• Aids in Temperature Regulation

Global warming can be mitigated by reducing the burning or liquefying of e-waste, which releases toxic substances into the atmosphere. A decrease in heat-trapping gases and carbon monoxide would help lower temperatures to more favorable levels.

• Reduces Acid Rain Occurrences

Proper recycling cuts sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions which leads to acid rain formation. Minimizing crude e-waste processing will result in fewer chemicals reacting with water vapor, leading to a reduction in acid rain. This change would enhance soil fertility and improve the health of communities, particularly in countries like China and Ghana, where pollution has severe health impacts.