Table of contentsFactors for the increase in electronic wasteMeasures to reduce the negative consequences of electronic waste ConclusionReferencesIn recent years, it has become a trend that all world has some electronic devices. Smartphones, tablets, and laptops are just some of the popular devices that people use, buy new ones, and throw away old ones every day. When old electronic devices are thrown away, they become electronic waste, also known as e-waste, which is the subject of this essay. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay E-waste is a term that refers to all used electronic devices that are discarded and intended for reuse, recovery, recycling via materials recovery, or disposal. . According to a study, 48.5 million tons of e-waste were produced in 2018, and only 20% was properly treated. This means that 80% of the annual production of electronic waste, or almost 40 million tonnes, “ends up in landfills or is disposed of by informal workers in poor conditions” (WEF). The main problem is that these electronic devices in almost all cases contain substances dangerous to human health and the environment. Most of these substances contain chemical elements such as lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium, and if electronic waste is not treated properly, these substances can easily reach people and the environment (Department of Control toxic substances). This usually happens in landfills where untrained workers handle e-waste, often without realizing how harmful the materials they are handling can be. When their unprotected skin comes into contact with various dangerous chemicals, many health problems can result. Some of these problems are kidney damage, muscle weakness, reproductive problems, damage to the immune system, etc. (Ranganathan). In addition to the health problems caused directly by the harmful materials present in e-waste, people's health is put at risk by the different types of environmental problems caused by these same materials. Poorly managed e-waste causes soil and water dissolution as hazardous materials reach underground soil and waterways. In this way, these materials reach thousands of people through the water they drink and the food they eat. Even the air is not free from pollution, as it is common for garbage collectors to burn old electronic devices in unprotected landfills in order to obtain materials such as copper (Ahmed). These are just a few examples in which e-waste can harm people and the environment when handled unprofessionally and unconsciously. Factors behind the increase in e-waste The important question to ask is what are the causes of the rapid increase in the production of e-waste. in recent years? A good starting point and a common first guess would be consumers of electronic devices and their habits. It is true that people have been spoiled by the producers and that they wait almost every year for a new phone or other type of deviceelectronic. When their device is broken or simply no longer works as well as before, the consumer's first choice is to throw it away without even trying to repair it, and buy a new one. Even when the old device is taken to service, it is more likely that a consumer will be offered to purchase a new device rather than repair the broken one. However, many would argue that electronics producers are most responsible for the e-waste problem. Anyone who has owned the same device for a long time knows the feeling of experiencing minor issues with their device over time. The most common problems users encounter are slowing down of their devices and incompatibility of new software with their old devices. With the creation and release of new software every day, the need for newer devices arises among the users because without them, people would not be able to use any of the new features offered by the software. This problem is closely linked to a policy known as planned obsolescence. This is a strategy commonly used in industrial design and economics, where goods are intentionally produced "with unprofitable and short lifespans, so that customers will have to make repeat purchases" (Bulow). Although the term was introduced in the 20th century, it seems that it has never been more prevalent in the industry than it is today, especially in the technology industry. Evidence that major manufacturers are using this strategy emerged in 2018 when Italy's antitrust watchdog proved that Apple and Samsung were using software updates to intentionally slow down older phones. These two brands were both fined 5 million euros (Balmer).Measures to reduce the negative consequences of electronic waste Aware of the negative consequences of electronic waste and other hazardous waste, the United Nations designed a treaty in the aim of reducing risks. The Basel Convention, as this treaty is commonly known, has the support of 186 parties around the world. Among the other obligations and conditions listed in the convention, two are significant for the issue of electronic waste. The first prohibits the export of e-waste to developing countries, thereby protecting poor countries around the world from the negative impact of e-waste importation. The second important measure aims to put pressure on manufacturers to invest more in recycling, which significantly reduces the risk of e-waste harming people and the environment. The United States, being the world's second largest producer behind China, is the only developed country that has not ratified the Basel Convention. Furthermore, it does not have any national laws dealing with the issue of e-waste and the burden of managing e-waste lies with the states. As Larmer stated in his 2018 article, “fifteen states still do not have e-waste legislation in effect” (Larmer). This is proof that the United States, as a country, is unaware and, whether intentionally or not, is unwilling to tackle this global problem. Instead, most e-waste produced in the United States is shipped to developing countries in Asia. On the other hand, European Union countries have “some of the strictest e-waste laws in the world” (Larmer). These laws have proven effective as recycling rates in the European Union of 35% are much higher, 408(2), 183-191.