What is e-waste?

You probably think you are familiar with the concept of recycling, knowing what materials can be recycled and what not. But do you know the concept of electronics waste (e-waste)? 

First of all, what is e-waste? Department of Environment Malaysia (DOE) defines it as “a broken, non-working or old/obsolete electric electronic appliance”. It usually comes with the term “household e-waste” which means e-waste that comes from household, commercial and institutional. 

E-waste is becoming a trendy issue when the demands of electronic equipment growing exponentially across the digital age, followed by the high disposal rate of e-waste. While there are a lot of findings suggesting that improper e-waste disposal can harm the environment and the human, the big issue of e-waste management comes in.

Speaking of e-waste management, many Malaysians do not know that e-waste should be treated differently from other household waste and recycle items. According to a 100-respondents small-scale survey done by Malaysian Digest (2017), there are 90% of respondents do not recycle their electronics. Among the 90 people, 60% of them claim themselves unsure what to do with the old electronics or devices.

The issue brought to here is that how e-waste can be properly handled and why it should? The info-graphics below can help you to gain some information about e-waste. 

E-wastes management is one of the issues highlighted by Department of Environment Malaysia (DOE) since 2015. You can always go to the DOE Household E-waste official site: www.doe.gov.my/hhew/ to search for more updates and information.

Additional readings: 

1. https://www1.nst.com.my/lifestyle/bots/2018/01/329772/social-enterprise-sols-tech-boon-under-served-communities

2. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-06/ways-you-can-re-use-an-old-mobile-phone/8488540 

3. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tokyo-will-make-olympic-medals-out-recycled-electronics-180962036/ 

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