Courtesy: Wikimedia
More computers discarded by consumers in the United States are getting a second life in developing countries than previously believed, according to a new study –– the most comprehensive ever done on the topic –– reported in ACS’ semi-monthly journal Environmental Science & Technology. The findings may ease growing concerns about environmental pollution with toxic metals that can result from dismantling and recycling computer components in developing countries.
If discarded computes are gaining life again around the world, the question arises why is Pakistan still far behind in this respect?
These International Imperialists are controlling dumping in Pakistan without any hindrance or retaliation from the Pakistani government. The e-waste exported to our country is dumped in major cities. This waste mainly consists of large number of personal computers along with other electronic devices. Recycling ends up being more expensive, unable to dispose of 80% of their e-waste, the developed West, very conveniently dumps it towards the less developed, through which they earn extra money. It has become a trend in the modern world that many electronic recyclers export their e-waste to developing nations where there is cheap labor and weak law enforcement agencies. The developed countries completely fail to recycle the hazardous waste which is thrown in a country like ours.
In the study carried out by Ramzy Kahhat and Eric Williams focused on the situation in Peru, where Kahhat was born. They used a Peruvian government database that tracks importation of new and used computers and computing equipment. The researchers found that at least 85 percent of computers imported into Peru are reused, rather than going directly into recycling. The U.S. is the source of up to 76 percent of used computers imported to Peru from 2003-2007, the researchers indicated. They note uncertainty on whether the same holds true for other, much larger countries like China and India.