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| Sunday, 26 September 2004 |
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Features |  |
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Where do you bury dead Computers? Experts estimate that more than 20 million personal computers became obsolete in 1998 and project that more than 60 million personal computers will be retired in 2005. by Shanika Sriyananda
But, within a few months this wonder box 'shut down', for ever. And now it is lying in a corner, gathering dust unable to locate the owner from whom he purchased the computer for the promised 'after sales service', Chamara is still paying interest on the loan he obtained from his office to buy the computer. Chamara is just a case in point. Along with the popularisation of the .com wonders and the marvels of the e-world, there has been a proliferation of computers of dubious standards of quality and usability, flooding the market. Novice users, like Chamara, none the wiser about quality or configuration often become the victims when the machines break down and are deemed beyond repair. The only option left is to dump them somewhere. But where do you send unwanted computers to? And there lies the problem. Thousands of near obsolete computers imported from the West are now causing serious problems due to lack of facilities for their disposal. Merely dumping them is out of the question due to lack of space and their non-bio degradable nature. The incinerator is also out of the question. So what does one do? And it isn't just the computers. Asia, especially the South has become the dumping grounds for electronic waste (e-waste), such as used computers, printers, cellur phones and used refrigerators for the West which often bestow these items as 'donations'. Most developing countries depend on donations from rich countries. But is it ethical for them to dump their toxic waste in lands where the poorest of the poor live, most of them in unhealthy environs and suffer from various chronic diseases. "Is Asia going to be the dumping site for millions of obsolete computers discarded in the West?" The question is a hotly debated topic in Asian countries, which strongly oppose the use of their countries as junk yards for toxic e-waste. A recent study by the University of Florida found that electronic devices - cell phones, printers, flat-panel monitors, keyboards, computer mouse, remote controls, VCRs, laptops and central processing units, or CPUs the components that contain the 'guts' of personal computers have considerable amount of lead, and qualified them as hazardous waste. The study notwithstanding, the importation of computer waste continues to increase in Sri Lanka The lifespan of computers is decreasing and according to experts the average life span of a computer hard disk is 4-6 years and monitors 6-7 years. By 2005, one computer will become obsolete for every new one put on the market, especially, personal computers (PCs), which have an average life span of just a few years, and which are going out of service faster than they are being produced . Will this correlate to more near-obselete computers being imported into the country .Most countries, even the developed countries, lack safe disposal facilities for the millions of computers which become obsolete annually. "These 'end-of-life' electronics have been ending up in Asian countries since the 1990s. More than 20 million PCs became obsolete in the United States and only 11 per cent of the total will be recycled. The rest is shipped to poor Asian countries like Sri Lanka", claims Hemantha Witanage, Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ), who has written to Director General, Central Environmental Authority, Manel Jayamanne, requesting that the CEA consider introducing regulations to ban the importation of used computers into the country. And it's not only PCs, but loads of 'dead' electronic appliances like washing machines, photocopy machines, blenders, fans and refrigerator parts, imported free-of-charge from the West, are now being sold for a few thousands of rupees at make shift- sales outlets that close shop and vanish after the goods have been sold. Witanage says the country does not as yet have a single recycling centre and warns that the storing of e-waste would become a serious problem very soon. "We need to take immediate action to stop the importation of e-waste. Shops selling end-life appliances such as computers and washing machines are mushrooming", he pointed out. According to Witanage, some developed Asian countries and many European countries have introduced extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, to ensure that the producer takes the responsibility for collection and safe disposal of their electronic products, once they reach obsolete stage. "Consumers as well as the company pay a fee to discard these used products. Normally these used materials are not for reuse in those countries", points out Witanage. While Electronics companies like Sony Electronics, IBM and DELL have commenced collecting their electronics and personal-computing products, steps are being taken by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to bring regulations to ban highly toxic equipment coming into the country. The regulations have been drafted by the CEA in consultation with the Department of Customs, Attorney Generals Department and Sri Lanka Ports Authority. " The final draft is with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to take necessary actions to submit it for Cabinet approval", reveals CEA Director General Manel Jayamanne. According to Lal Fernando, Director Hazardous Waste Unit of the CEA Cabinet had decided to ban the importation of waste products in the A list of the BASEL Convention on 2000/01/13. "Waste in the B list comprising mainly electrical and electronic assemblies will be considered on a case by case basis. Importation of any item in the B list will be on clearance by the technical committee of the CEA, which will thoroughly look into the chemicals the products contain", he added. According to Fernando the CEA does not allow hazardous waste recycling projects and some proposals for such projects have been rejected. However, B. S. Mendis, Director General Standards Institute (SLSI) points out that the country does not have National Standards for computers. "Normally computers comply with international standards",he says,adding the SLSI has as yet not addressed the issue and had not found any need to introduce standards for computers as it could be controlled and dealt with through simple regulations of imports and exports controls. Sunday Observer investigations discovered that no authority to register computers or other electronic appliances in the country and any one can import loads of e-waste and open a showroom without any difficulty. A computer is not a luxury item any more. It facilitates and makes the work easy. But on the down side, Sri Lanka cannot afford to become a junk yard for dead devices. It is time for the responsible authorities to be tough on the importation of electric appliances to safeguard humans and the environment. Meanwhile Asia-Pacific nations recently launched WASTE NOT ASIA - the region's first alliance to oppose the expansion of waste incineration technologies and promote ecological methods of waste management and appealed to global manufacturers of electronic products and appliances to practice Extended Producer Responsibility. They charged the rich countries with going against the intent of the BASEL Convention's ban on the export of toxic waste from OECD to non-OECD countries even for recycling purposes. **** E-toxics and their health impact * Lead : Found in soldering of printed circuit boards and other electronic components, on glass panels in computer monitors (Cathode Ray Tubes) can cause damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems, blood circulation, kidneys in humans and serious negative effects to the brain development of children. * Cadmium : Found in electrical and electronic equipment, SMD chip resistors, infrared detectors and semiconductors older types of cathode ray tubes also contain cadmium which is used as a plastic stabiliser. Cadmium can accumulate in the human body, in the kidneys in particular. It is absorbed through respiration but is also taken up with food. Effects of cadmium, are irreversible. * Mercury : This substance is used in thermostats, (position) sensors, relays and switches (e.g. on printed circuit boards and in measuring equipment) and discharge lamps. Methylated mercury causes chronic damage to the brain. *Hexavelant Chromium (Chromium VI) : Apply as corrosion protection of untreated and galvanized steel plates and as a decorative and hardener for steel housing. It can easily pass through membranes of cells and is absorbed ,producing various toxic effects within the cells. It causes strong allergic reactions even in small concentrations. Asthmatic bronchitis is another allergic reaction linked to chromium VI, which also damages DNA. * Plastics: More than 315 million computers will become obsolete between 1997 and 2004 and each computer contains 6.30 kilo grams of plastic average. There will be more than 1824 million kilograms of plastic present in this computer waste. * Brominated flame-retardants:This is commonly used in electronic products as a means for reducing flammability. In computers, they are used mainly in four applications: in printed circuit boards, in components such as connectors, in plastic covers and in cables. They are also used in plastic covers of TV sets and in domestic kitchen appliances. |
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| Produced by Lake House |
D. Chamara Jayaratne does not have a cent. He invested all his hard
earned money on a computer with e-mail and internet facilities. He can
still remember how the family members gathered around this 'magic box'
when he first switched it on. The 'brand new' device that seemed almost
magical at times unfolded a new .com world that didn't have borders,
barriers or require visas. They were amazed when they got an instant reply
to an e-mail from one of his friends in Colombo.
