The Responsible Electronics Recycling Act

Another bill government officials have introduced into legislation in the past year is The Responsible Electronics Recycling Act in an effort to make a difference in the world. This bill, if passed “would make it illegal to export toxic waste to developing countries” (Acaroglu) that do not contain proper disposal sites. In other words, the United States is trying to ensure that the waste it transports to these other countries isn’t going to become part of a toxic landfill, where its workers undergo labor in harsh, life threatening conditions from chemical exposure. This bill has caused a lot of debate in congress because it is said to be “cheaper for U.S. companies to ship e-waste overseas” (Acaroglu) rather than invest in safe disposal sites …show more content…
According to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, eleven percent of the total amount of electronic waste is buried in landfills (Gattuso). However, questions may arise concerning the way in which everyday workers and family members may be affected by this technological waste disposal decision. When it rains, the waste that is in landfills has the potential to run into major bodies of water to affect the ecosystem, not to mention that water used by farmers to irrigate can become contaminated. Therefore, the toxins will damage the water supply, vegetation, animals, and of course, humans. Currently, only fourteen percent of the total amount of electronic waste is recycled or reused, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute (Gatuso). By increasing the reuse of electronic waste by safely disposing of old, unwanted technological devices, a drastic difference could be made in the lives of those who are …show more content…
They believe that since older electronics can be donated and given to someone in need rather than recycled, they are giving back to the community in some way. This is not an accurate assumption, though. When companies support the overproduction of electronics, it creates a ripple effect until it finally affects the amount of donated electronics. To explain, the number of electronics in demand by consumers has increased and thus an increase in production has occurred, which simultaneously begins to overflow the capacity of electronically donated items a donation facility can hold. After the capacity is met, there is no other choice but to recycle. The ripple effect starts with electronic production, increasing electronic donations, which then increasing the amount of electronics waiting to be recycled at an even greater rate than production. For those who think this is a safe way to dispose of unwanted merchandise, this is an inaccurate assumption. There is no way to know if your old technology had been placed in the garbage to pollute the earth, taking into account that “Americans throw out approximately 400 million electronic devices” per year (Greenhaven Press) Therefore, in order to protect the world, it is necessary to be completely aware of the healthy recycling companies versus the unreliable