Toxic E-Waste May Become a Big Problem in a Few Decades for the Developing World

Computer waste is becoming a huge issue in the developing world. As standards of living and access to technology increase, the problem of recycling and disposing electronic devices is becoming more and more of a problem.

It's difficult to get rid of computer waste; computers and other technological devices can hold valuable information and also are created from materials that don't biodegrade quickly. In fact, researchers have now estimated the potential number of obsolete desktop and notebook computers and the quantity of various toxic components that will be generated from these devices over the next 10 to 15 years in India; the results aren't comforting.

It will take just three decades before there is one computer per capita across the nature. However, there will be higher-end users who have more than one device. Since India has a population of almost 1.3 billion, this rate of growth means that there will be a lot of computers to dispose of.

How many computers will there be exactly? Scientists estimated that there will be about 126 million desktop computers and about 900 million laptops that will be past their life expectancy by the year 2025. This means that the recycling computer capacity will need to be greatly upgraded and will need to be able to cope with more than a billion PCs in 2020.

Electronic waste, or e-waste, can consist of toxic elements, such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and various plastics and polymers. This means that disposing of e-waste properly is crucial for the environment and for nearby population centers.

"These results will help waste management authorities in planning appropriate infrastructure and facilities for handling, recycling and disposal of this hazardous waste," stated the team in a news release. "This analysis does not address distribution of obsolete computers for reuse, recycling and landfill options nor their storage time, which is an important issue to resolve in the future."

The findings highlight the importance of taking steps to deal with the future influx of e-waste. By taking steps now, managers can prepare for the future and potentially keep problems from arising before they have a chance to become serious.

The findings are published in the International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management.