Simply defined, a hazardous waste is a waste with properties that make it dangerous or capable of having a harmful effect on human health or the environment. Hazardous waste is generated from many sources, ranging from industrial manufacturing process wastes to the batteries we use each day and may come in many forms, including liquids, solids gases, and sludges.
While e-waste is not technically defined as a hazardous waste,-because it can be reused and recycled - is it none the less hazardous. E-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams on the planet. Already, we produce something like 50 million tonnes of it each year. And that number’s only set to increase as electronics become more accessible worldwide.
E-waste, or electronic waste, encompasses electrical and electronic equipment that’s outdated, unwanted, or broken. That means everything from smartphones to end-of-life refrigerators. Basically, anything that runs on electricity that you’ve decided to get rid of.
Neil Peter-Michaud talks with Host Bernice Butler to unpack and uncover what this means to us in our everyday lives.
