How Device Trade-In Fuels Sustainable Progress

Upgrading tech is easy. The harder part is figuring out what to do with the old stuff once you’ve moved on. Most people hold onto it without any real reason, not because they need it, but because tossing electronics in the trash feels wrong. And it should. Every device that gets made comes from materials pulled out of the ground, and many of those are in finite supply. That’s why trade-ins are such a great option. A buyback program is one of the few ways the average person can directly cut down on e-waste. A phone or computer you don’t … Continue reading

Navigating the Disposal of Electronic Waste: Understanding WEEE Management

The disposal and recycling of waste require meticulous handling, especially for certain kinds of waste that could potentially pose a risk to public health and safety. This discussion centres around the management of WEEE waste. Defining WEEE WEEE stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, encompassing a wide range of items that either plug into an electrical source or are battery-operated, commonly known as “e-waste.” This category also includes lighting equipment like fluorescent and high-intensity discharge lamps, and “white goods” such as major appliances (e.g., refrigerators, washers, and ovens) which account for approximately forty percent of all disposed and recycled … Continue reading

Effective Ways to Tackle the Menace of E-Waste

Daily life has been made far more efficient, and glamorous, as technology improves at phenomenal rates. We are encouraged to go paperless, and drastically reduce waste from paper materials. However, technology has its own waste issues to deal with. Electronic waste (or e-waste), is the fastest growing waste stream, and its disposal is a major environmental concern in all parts of the world. When new technology does out with the old, our current model of disposing of ‘outdated’ technology is harming people, profits and most importantly, the planet. More than 50 million of tons of e-waste is generated globally and the quantity is rapidly … Continue reading

Recycling of E-Waste in GCC: Challenges and Opportunities

The growing amount of e-waste is gaining more and more attention on the global agenda. In 2017, e-waste production is expected to reach up to 48 million metric tons worldwide. The biggest contributors to this volume are highly developed nations, with the top three places of this inglorious ranking going to Norway, Switzerland and Iceland. In Norway, each inhabitant produces a massive 28.3 kg of e-waste every year. Not far behind the top ten of this ranking lie GCC member states, with both Kuwait and UAE producing each 17.2 kg e-waste per capita per year. Saudi Arabia with its many … Continue reading

The Significance of E-Waste Management

E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream, and its disposal is a major environmental concern in all parts of the world. More than 50 million tons of e-waste is generated every year with major fraction finding its way to landfills and dumpsites. E-waste comprises as much as 8% of the municipal solid waste stream in rich nations, such as those in GCC. Globally only 15 – 20 percent of e-waste is recycled while the rest is dumped into developing countries. However, in the Middle East, merely 5 percent of e-waste is sent to recycling facilities (which are located in Asia, … Continue reading