Rare Earth

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It only Francesco will cost to repair "a few pennies" to his TV screen

"I was a child of the early 80s, when the electronic elements were pretty expensive and were supposed to last forever. "

Francesco Calo was to learn How To his broken TV to the repair event in Tooting, South London .

It might seem a simple idea, But repair initiatives such as this could scrap a part of a solution to the growing amount of electrical and electronic.

This waste is always a big problem. The 50 million tons of e-waste generated each year, More Than doubling to 110 million tonnes in the year 2050, Making It the fastest growing waste stream in The World , so the author of the UN report.

environmental damage

Francesco the incredible volume of e-scrap was one of the main reasons why he wanted to get involved in fixing broken gadgets.

He could project the support of volunteers on the Restart in London . Other, similar projects exist in the UK and around The World .

"This project will allow you to reduce waste, extend The Life of the objects, and it helps People who can't afford to get rid of items that have developed a fault," he says.

"The Problem of electronic waste is overlooked, such as the electronic elements, it could easily be regulated, to go to waste, rather than contributing to the pollution of The Environment and the increase in the demand for components such as rare-earth elements, the harmful effects on The Environment . "

Dr. Ruediger Kuehr, United Nations University, produced, the said the UN Global E-Waste Monitor, the BBC, in spite of ambitious collection targets, "The World -wide-collections are stagnant or even declining".

The United Nations ' next Global E-Waste Monitor is expected to be published in April, But only with 41 countries to produce official e-waste statistics, the fate of the majority of the waste is "simply unknown," says Prof Ian Williams from the University of Southampton.

"In countries where there is no national e-waste legislation in place, e-waste is likely to be treated as other or General waste. This is to be filled either agricultural or recycled along with other metal or plastic waste," he says.

But e-waste from used electrical and electronic products is only part of the problem. A significant contribution to e-waste, the release of toxins from the mining and the manufacturing industry.

The rare earths currently in critical components in high-tech electronics are mined, But They are dangerous, to extract.

"It is not the High Risk that the pollutants are taken care of properly, or you are cared for by an informal sector and re-used, without properly protecting the workers, while the says with the toxins from e-waste," Prof Williams.

50 million tons of e-waste each year is generated, according to the UN -

by far the largest contributors to The Level of e-waste household appliances, such as irons, vacuum cleaners, washing machines and refrigerators.

But the fast-growing "Internet of Things " devices connected to The Internet - is expected to generate e-waste at a faster rate, as connectivity is embedded into everyday objects.

There are rules for the management of e-waste. The seller of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) within the European Union have the possibility to dispose of the customer device, your old household items, if you sell a new version of the same product.

And in October, 2019, the EU adopted, which means that starting in the year 2021, The Company will have the devices more durable and the supply of spare parts for machinery, for up to 10 years.

The British government has obliged to comply with", and even the EU-eco-regulations the product" post-British EU surpass outlet.

the "Internet of Things " is expected to e-waste, Some high-profile electronics companies have even faster

in the face of criticism about the lack of availability of spare parts or upgrades, or alleged to have built-in obsolescence.

In the year 2017, Apple admitted that it had some models of the iPhone, as you age. The customer had suspected, this was to encourage People to update, although Apple said it was to prolong The Life of the equipment of the customer. In the year 2018, found The Company is using its Daisy robot, in order to disassemble iPhone recovery and recycling of minerals.

In November of 2019, owners of Sonos products is no longer issuing software updates for some older models. Affected customers discounts on newer devices, which, in turn, for recycling of their existing product. were

more and more, investors are only economic with a view to The Company , The Help are committed to a clean global.

Amanda O 'toole, a Fund Manager at AXA Investment Managers, explains that e-waste is "a significant and growing Problem".

"We are starting to see companies that are, I think, very aware of their reputation, are investing very heavily here. You recognize the reputational damage, not to do so. "

repair pop-ups that teach People How To repair their broken tech, rather than to dispose of it

But some consumers literally take matters into her own hands. And you do not want new devices.

Back in the Restart project in London - part of a larger repair, the movement of community-based projects around The World - Francesco succeeded in repairing his TV screen at the cost of "a few cents" for a new diode and The Help of volunteers. He told the BBC that he is thinking of becoming a volunteer fixers in The Future .

"to repair, I love the idea, observe, and learn, instead of simply using your article.

"I always try to extend the lease of life of the electronic items that I own. through the use of old mobile phones as a music Player or an old tablet as a digital picture frame. "

Francesco s can only think of a fix, But the Prof Williams, that this type of action plays a small But important role in the fight against what he calls the " e-waste "tsunami".

"I think that the repair cafes, the re-use of clubs, and the People who are trying to extend The Life of electronic devices - They definitely have a role," he says.

"But The Truth is that one in five People , is Best to do in order to be motivated, so for The Remaining four of the five systems that are comfortable, fit your lifestyle and allows us the electronic devices. in the next Position. "

landfill, recycling, companies, waste management, united nations

Source of news: bbc.com