70% of Children are Either Unaware or Unclear About E-Waste

E-waste is the fastest growing domestic waste stream on the planet, with production expected to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030 according to the UN. This on its own is a major concern that is actively being addressed, but another study recently highlighted another major issue of e-waste: the lack of education for children on the subject. 

The Study

In a study conducted by Cartoon Network, it was found that 70% of children across the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa) have either never heard of e-waste or have heard of it but do not know what it means. This study was conducted from ages 6-11 and highlights a worrying concern that the next generation are unaware or do not understand one of the major global concerns.  

Educating children on this topic is extremely important. Less than 20% of e-waste generated every year is properly recycled, and the best way to combat this is to make sure the younger generation are firstly aware of the issue, and secondly know how to correctly dispose of any e-waste  

An Abundance of E-waste

Another reason it is so important to educate children is that most of them have e-waste themselves. The aforementioned study found that 87% of the children surveyed had at least one e-waste item at home. Without proper education, it is extremely likely that these items will be cast into a landfill. 

If children are effectively educated on e-waste, it could play a significant role in reducing the production of e-waste.  This is exactly why we at Techbuyer have played our part in creating a more sustainable future for all.  

This study shows that there is a lack of understanding of e-waste for many children, but for others, the dangers it brings are known all too well. 

The Toxic Threat of E-waste 

E-waste is not biodegradable and can contain toxic materials. This means that once discarded, e-waste sticks around. It then releases harmful chemicals into the environment through soil and water. According to the World Health Organisation, when e-waste is treated using inferior recycling activities, such as burning or manual disassembly, it can release as many as 1,000 different chemical substances into the environment. Pregnant women and children are most at risk from this, and it is estimated that 16.5 million children (about the population of New York) were working in the industrial sector as of 2020, of which processing is a subsector. 

As well as harmful chemicals, e-waste can also contain valuable and finite materials. The allure of these materials offers a potential income stream for many in low-income communities, but without the correct regulations, safety precautions, and training, there is significant risk of harm to those that attempt to mine them. Children often serve as cheap labour, and this can result in them being exposed to dangerous chemicals. 

As a society, we simply must improve how we handle e-waste, and a major step towards this is to educate children not only about e-waste recycling, but also about what goes into the technology that they use every day. In July, we took this into our own hands. 

Doing Our Part 

In July, our Sustainability Commitee travelled to New College Pontefract to deliver a session at their Green Employer Conference. The session bridged the gap between technology and the environment and provided the students with an opportunity to get a closer look at what makes up the hardware we use every day using a hard drive teardown. 

This was a fantastic opportunity to educate students on the link between technology and the environment and introduce them to the circular economy. 

Our lesson was extremely well received, with one student saying, “I hadn’t really thought about the components before, and it goes to show how much can be reused”. 

One of the teachers at the college also plans to use the practical element of the lesson in their class to help students further understand the circular economy. 

Educating the next generation on sustainability and e-waste starts with educating yourself. If you want to learn more, we have a number of articles on e-waste already available. We also offer IEMA training if you want to improve your business’s sustainability practices. 

Do you have e-waste that needs recycling? Get in touch with our team here.