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In spite of the millennia that separate them, what Palaeolithic cutlery and baroque washi both offer is convenience for users. Apparently throughout humanity's history, people have found it easier or better to employ certain items for a short time. Looking back, one can imagine the delight of parents when disposable diapers were introduced in the 1940s, and that of writers when ball-point pens made their mark the same decade. When plastic utensils and plastics bags emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, respectively, the novelty of their effortlessness must have felt as fresh as the disposable camera's did in the 1980s.
Now, we have medically important single-use products, such as surgical scissors and nitrile gloves, that eliminate exposures and save lives. But we also have things like disposable sunglasses, cutting boards, and French-press coffee lids, which may make some daily tasks easier, but which also exert an increased pressure on waste management systems. Last month, Paige Brown and other bloggers at Student Voices addressed these issues during their #30DayGreen challenge, in which they chronicled their commitment to recycling and green consumerism. In addition to their insights, I would like to mention a group of objects that sometimes may seem disposable, but should never be treated as such: electronic and digital devices.
Driving their high rates of production, items like laptops, smart phones, and memory cards offer those with access to them an exceptional degree of usefulness. As more of these devices crowd the market and drive prices down, inexpensive electronic products can seem as dispensable as other common household items. These products, however, often contain not only glass and plastic, but also frequently silicon, gold, tin, rare earth elements, and minerals, such as cassiterite and coltan, which continue to fuel conflict in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, despite regulations. In comparison to the substances in other things people frequently use, the materials in electronic and digital devices are categorically different.
As an illustration, this factory sequence video features the manufacture of Lexar memory cards and flash drives. Although the Lexar 4GB memory card, for example, contains gold thread and is constructed over the course of months, it is roughly the size and weight of a guitar pick and can be purchased for $6.95. For me, the size, price, and availability of these memory cards and other digital items somehow convey a sense of disposability, which denies the true values of the labor and materials involved in their construction, especially when externalities are considered.
During the onslaught of new electronics arriving this fall and winter, if you do buy a new device, have a plan for what you are replacing, even if it is a charging cable or a toner cartridge. Although many states have e-recycling policies, and most people don't throw away loads of electronics, it is still the responsibility of consumers to ensure that valuable materials do not land in the junk pile. Basically, never, ever, throw anything away that plugs in or digitally stores content, especially if you live in one of the US states where electronic waste is banned from landfills.3 If the device still functions, give it to a friend, sell it, or donate it to an organization. If the item is broken, drop it off at an electronics store such as Staples, contact an organization like Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), or check with the item's manufacturer.4
Apple, as well as Staples and ERI, have committed to recycling these products locally and to keeping them out of global e-waste sites such as Guiyu, China, and Agbogbloshie, Ghana. Nonetheless, both customers and companies should recognize the entire lifespan of electronic products and do everything possible to prevent their reckless disposal at high social costs.5,6,7 Considering this responsibility, no matter how outmoded or broken a device may seem, technology should never be trash.
Credits: Image of electronic waste sorting in Guiyu, China, is by Flickr's Bert van Dijkman. YouTube video featuring the manufacture of Lexar memory cards and flash drives is by LexarMediaInc.
1. Barkai, R., Lemorini, C., & Gopher, A. Palaeolithic cutlery 400,000-200,000 years ago: Tiny meat-cutting tools from Qesem Cave, Israel. Antiquity. 84: September 2010.
2. Mohammed, A. "Israeli Archaeologists Discover Shards of Ancient Disposable Cutlery." Associated Press. August 30, 2010.
3. Koch, W. "More States Ban Disposal of Electronics in Landfills." USA Today. December 18, 2011.
4. Tabuchi, H. "Japan Recycles Minerals From Used Electronics." The New York Times. October 4, 2010.
5. Liu, Q., Shi, S., Du, L., Wang, Y., Cao, J., Xu, C., Fan, F., Giesy, J., & Hecker, M. (2012). Environmental and health challenges of the global growth of electronic waste, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 19, 2460-2462 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-012-0923-z ResearchBlogging.com.
6. Lubick, N. (2012). Shifting mountains of electronic waste. Environmental Health Perspectives, 120 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.120-a148 ResearchBlogging.com.
7. Wang, F., Huisman, J., Meskers, C., Schluep, M., Stevels, A., & Hagelüken, C. (2012). The Best-of-2-Worlds philosophy: Developing local dismantling and global infrastructure network for sustainable e-waste treatment in emerging economies. Waste Management, 32, 2134-2146 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2012.03.029 ResearchBlogging.com.
