What is E-Waste?

E-waste is becoming a growing problem in the world, and a lot of governments are ignoring the issue, but more and more people are becoming aware of the problem that e-waste has on the environment and people’s health. Entrepreneurs are always the innovators and are always the first people to find a new way to solve a problem. The problem though is that sometimes when a person wants to change, they need to educate investors, people and customers. This can be done by giving an elevator pitch, and here is somewhat of an elevator pitch to talk about what e-waste is and the harmful effects it has on humans.

What is e-waste?: “Includes computers entertainment electronics, mobile phones, and other items.”[1] In which these items are being thrown out and recycled.

What are the effects?: There are a lot of harmful of affects of e-waste which contains, “lead, cadmium, and mercury”[2]. Harm to humans from these toxic metals can include lead in the “peripheral nervous system”- This can lead to damage in the spinal cord, which is a, “vast communication network that transmits information”[3]. If you want more information please visit this website, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2796756/.

What are the problems?: There a lot of these wastes that are going to Africa and Asia. Many of them are illegal e-waste that are being dumped within these developing countries. The problem is that more people are having these health problems in these areas, because of this waste.

What is Vancouver’s Role?: They have a lot of e-waste problems, and a lot of e-waste in Vancouver get shipped from Port Vancouver illegally. Even though Vancouver does not throw e-waste in their own area, they have a shipping port in which they toss all the e-waste that Vancouver gets into the environments of developing nations.

Written by: Inderpal Brar

[1] http://www.rcbc.ca/resources/additional-resources-links/e-waste
[2] http://www.wisegeek.com/why-is-e-waste-dangerous.htm
[3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2796756/