GreenInsights eMagazine 2021

New Era of Waste Management: Transforming

E-waste into Innovative Creations through
Upcycling
Introduction What is E-waste?
Globalisation, technical advancements, E-waste, electronic garbage, e-scrap, and
the development of the Internet, and closer end-of-life electronics are all words for
access to smart devices have contributed to worn electronics that have reached the
the growth of the electrical and electron- end of their useful life and have been dis-
ics industries. The wide availability and the carded, donated, or delivered to a recy-
use of electronic items have led to a rap- cler. According to The Global E-Waste
id increment in global electronic waste Monitor 2014 report by the United Na-
(e-waste) volumes, because markets have tions University e-waste is “a term used to
not paid adequate attention to electronic cover all items of electrical and electron-
device post-consumption behaviour, prop- ic equipment (EEE) and its parts that its
er disposal and management. There are owner has discarded as waste without the
significant environmental problems con- intent of re-use”. It is also referred to as
nected with e-waste at both the local and WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic
global levels that demand more attention Equipment), electronic waste, or e-scrap
from governments, businesses, institutions in different regions.
and society. Everyone is familiar with waste
recycling but there is an emerging trend,
called upcycling. Upcycling electronics is
an effective and viable procedure for con-
verting end-of-life devices into new ones.
The procedure refers to the modification
of old waste materials, to recreate and give
them a new life or purpose without having
to spend a lot of money on new resources.
This approach is used not only to improve
living quality; but also to provide the de-
veloped items with a sense of higher envi- Image 01: Electrical equipment piled up without proper
ronmental worth. It will also improve the disposal
artistic value of the creation. This article Source: The Growing Environmental Risks of E-Waste,
aims to provide a solution to problems that (2021)
arise because of e-waste.

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How Does it Become a Irregular dispersal, shattering or melting of

Matter of Major Concern? electronic waste releases chemicals such as
dioxins or dust particles into the air, pollut-
ing the atmosphere and damaging respiratory
Most consumer electronics are meant health. With the breakdown of electrical waste,
to have a short lifespan, and when they it releases both heavy metals and flammable
are discarded, they can cause signifi- substances that can leak directly into the soil
cant challenges. According to a UNEP from the e-waste, contaminating groundwa-
press release in 2019, the globe gener- ter or polluting crops, plants and trees that
ates around 50 million tons of electronic are growing from the soil. When these heavy
and electrical waste (e-waste) every year, metals reach groundwater they eventually
which is equivalent to the weight of all find their way into various water channels,
commercial aeroplanes ever made and causing acidification and toxification in the
unfortunately, only 20% of this waste is water, which is dangerous for animals, plants,
formally recycled. The growing volume and communities that rely on these waters.
of electronic waste, including discard- Improper electrical waste disposal is extreme-
ed products with a battery or plug, such ly hazardous to the global ecosystem since it
as mobile phones, laptops, televisions, contributes to climate change as well.
refrigerators and electrical toys, poses Prolonged exposure to these chemicals can
a major threat to the environment and lead to many serious health problems later on.
human health. For instance, Lead is used in various EEE, such
Improper e-waste disposal in landfills as lead-acid batteries, printed wiring boards
or other non-dumping sites is a substan- (PWB), and cathode ray tube (CRT) screens
tial public health risk, with the potential for televisions and older computers. Lead ex-
to contaminate ecosystems for future posure, especially in young people, can lead
generations. Toxic chemicals are gen- to problems with the nervous, blood and re-
erated when electronics are incorrectly productive systems. Mercury in fluorescent
disposed of and end up in landfills, af- lamps, LCD monitors, CFLs / tube bulbs and
fecting the earth’s air, soil, water, and, ul- thermometers can damage the human brain
timately, human health. E-waste is haz- and liver. In addition, cadmium used in old-
ardous because the component used to er CRT monitors, rechargeable batteries and
build electronics contains chemicals and switchers can primarily affect the kidneys and
substances that are harmful to human lungs and can cause prostate cancer. Combus-
health and the environment, including tion of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) used in pipes,
toxic metals, flame-retardants, and per- electronics and home appliances releases hy-
sistent organic pollutants (Smith, 2015). drogen chloride gas, which is toxic and can
E-waste contains highly toxic chemicals cause respiratory illness in humans. Exposure
like lead, cadmium, mercury, beryllium, to arsenic in EEE can lead to lung cancer, skin
BFR, lithium, polyvinyl chloride phos- diseases and nervous system disorders.
phorous compounds, chlorofluorocar-
bons (CFCs), and hydro-chlorofluoro-
carbons (HCFCs).
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E-Waste: Global Scenarios E-waste problem has now become a major

crisis in Sri Lanka as well. Lack of enough in-
and Sri Lankan Context
stitutional processes in place to collect e-waste,
According to the Global E-waste Monitor inadequate community understanding about
2020, Asia generated the highest quantity of health risks and environmental repercussions,
e-waste in 2019 at 24.9 Mt, followed by the lack of adequate training or knowledge of
Americas (13.1 Mt) and Europe (12 Mt), e-equipment handling, lack of data and con-
while Africa and Oceania generated 2.9 Mt trol over informal sectors involved in garbage
and 0.7 Mt, respectively. Europe ranked first collecting and recycling have exacerbated the
worldwide in terms of e-waste generation E-waste problem in Sri Lanka. The following
per capita, with 16.2 kg per capita. Oceania figure shows the electronic waste forecast for
was second (16.1 kg per capita), followed 2020 as compared to the electronic waste gen-
by the Americas (13.3 kg per capita), while erated during the period 2010 to 2015.
Asia and Africa generated just 5.6 and 2.5
kg per capita, respectively.

Figure 02: Electronic waste forecast for 2020 compared

Figure 01: Projected electronic waste generation to electronic waste generated from 2010-2015
worldwide from 2019 to 2030 Source: Wijesinghe, 2017
(In million metric tons)
(Source: Tiseo, 2021)
The diagram above depicts the potential
Moreover, the Global E-waste Monitor for approximately 1,000,000 metric tons of
2020 portrays that in 2019, 53.6 million e-waste to be generated and added to the en-
metric tons (Mt) of e-waste (excluding PV vironment by the year 2020. Therefore, the
panels) were generated. This trend is antic- electronic waste management process cur-
ipated to continue, with forecasts indicat- rently in place in Sri Lanka is not fully ad-
ing that yearly e-waste generation would equate and it exacerbates the problem of
have climbed by almost 30% worldwide by e-waste.
2030. In 2030, the amount of e-waste gen-
erated is expected to exceed 74 Mt, warns
the United Nations. As a result, the world-
wide volume of e-waste is growing at an
alarming rate of nearly 2 Mt every year.

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Way Forward for a

Sustainable Solution
A recent UN report titled ‘A New Circular Vi-
sion for Electronics’ highlights that the world
produces as much as 50 million tons of elec-
tronic and electrical e-waste a year. “However,
only 20% of this is formally recycled, the re-
maining 80% either ending up in landfills or Image 02: Differences between Upcycling and Recycling
being informally recycled” said Vishwanath Source: Portland State University, 2016
Mallabadi, an eco-artist in India. Therefore,
finding an ethical recycler is difficult, and In the context of electronics, recycling could
promising to eliminate e-waste from the plan- involve renovating the equipment for resale
et has proven difficult. As a result, upcycling or breaking down the gadget into its constit-
e-waste could be used as an appealing option uent components and recovering the valuable
in the current global contest. This technique metals used in the original structure, such as
converts old commodities into reusable items cadmium, gold, and silver. Upcycling, on the
or materials. End-of-life items can be reused other hand, does not necessitate degradation.
to create new products with imagination and It is a new idea: exploring alternative uses
innovation. Instead of being sold downstream for the entire thing or its constituent parts.
to material recovery processors, components Both procedures help decrease the number
from upcycling will be utilized to generate of landfills around the world. Apart from that
items like fascinating artwork toys, vintage more significantly, encouraging future gener-
collectables, art pieces, and jewelry. This is a ations to repurpose outdated technology is a
safe and environmentally friendly alternative constructive solution to help them adjust to a
to catastrophic e-waste disposal methods. It greener lifestyle.
is also an efficient and viable technique that In the last three years, many developed
converts end-of-life products into new prod- countries in the world have been moving to-
ucts without wasting energy in manufactur- wards the concept of upcycling. One good ex-
ing operation like recycling. This regenera- ample of large- scale upscaling initiative can
tion could include some value addition and be found in South Korea which is at the fore-
prototyping to produce new products, or it front of technology. Samsung, a South Ko-
could just be finding a new market for com- rean electronics company, has introduced a
ponents of the old product. new programme that encourages consumers
to upcycle items that they no longer use, giv-
ing obsolete gadgets a new lease on life. They
have explained this on ‘the national news
website’ under the topic ‘Why Upcycling Tech
Is The Future: Your Electronic Devices Can
Live Long Past Their Shelf Life’ on Tuesday 14

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September 2021. The program, named ‘The As in life, there can be a tremendous ben-
Galaxy Upcycling at Home’ initiative is now efit in taking a second look at what’s con-
being tested in three countries: the United sidered worthless junk and embracing it
States, the United Kingdom, and Korea. Its instead of discarding it”.
goal is to use a simple software update to re- Moreover, there are some artists using
purpose outdated Galaxy smartphones as the upcycling approach to their creations. Vish-
Internet of Things (IoT) devices. wanath Mallabadi in India is one of them.
In addition, Forbes Magazine which is He is an eco-artist who creates beautiful
known as a powerful means of communicat- eco art from unusual materials. During
ing new ideas or emerging concepts to the his leisure time, he may be seen either sep-
world published an article on ‘Make 2021 The arating and inventorying the e-waste he
Year You Upcycle Your Consumer Electronics has gathered from various scrap dealers or
Devices’ on January 24, 2021. President, and working to give the e-waste a new lease of
Co-Founder of ‘UBREAKIFIX’ Company Jus- life. Vishwanath also presented his imagi-
tin Weatherill, was expressing his views on it native collection on the utilization of elec-
and stated that e-waste is the fastest growing tronic waste at the United Nations’ two-
waste stream, with high-tech turnover a ma- day International Data Science Technology
jor factor in the USA and also in the world. Conference for Sustainable Development
Therefore, his working network has focused Goals (SDGs). At the first-ever conference
on the upcycling approach. Wetherill has said of its kind, he addressed how discarded old
that “Cell phones and tablets are the devices phones or telephone spiral wires are not
we see being upcycled the most (...) as their useless to an eco-artist. He told the Hindu
functionality tends to outlast the typical up- (An Indian Newspaper) that he believed
grade cycle, and with proper care and mainte- Upcycling is the only way to deal with en-
nance, these can have great ‘second lives’.” Ac- vironmental sustainability and to arrest
cording to Wetherill, the company has seen the problem of reducing landfills. “Being a
much more upcycling since the onset of the designer and one who cares for the envi-
pandemic because families are bringing in ronment, I am concerned about the future
tech they need for work or school, or those generation, and the work I do, I hope, will
they had previously forgotten about, like old help in the betterment of the generation.
game consoles and hover-boards. The economics behind my initiative is, if
When it comes to social media, Daniel Da- each person stops discarding end of life
vis who is an electronics wiz, runs the popu- products, upcycling or re-using them will
lar Tinkernut YouTube channel for promot- make a major difference in healthy living,”
ing upcycling approach has written a book to he has stated. Although other countries in
present the case for upcycling namely ‘Upcy- the world are involved in this process, Sri
cled Technology’. In the book, he has written Lanka is still not using the upcycling ap-
“Upcycling is more than just slapping a new proach to manage e-waste. Therefore, the
coat of paint on a nightstand. To let time and time has come for us to understand the
lack of interest steal these hidden treasures challenges around us and take actions at
from us is like leaving a music box’s melo- the individual level to make a difference as
dy to be buried and forever lost in a landfill. a nation by building a bridge between Grey
and Green.
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Image 03: Cassette lamps

Image 06: A coffee table

Implementation

Implementation is a monumental cause in

any proposal. Although upcycling e-waste
is a complicated long-term task, a prop-
erly planned procedure can lead to good
Image 04: Floppy disk plant holder outcomes. Comparatively, the e-waste
management in Sri Lanka is at a weak lev-
el mainly due to inadequate awareness.
Therefore, capacity building and raising
awareness is a mandatory requirement.
Conducting awareness, training programs
among the public on upcycling strategies
can address this issue. Moreover, involve-
ment of government authorities, forming
national platforms and coordination com-
mittees can enhance the effectiveness of
the project.

Image 05: Candles with old

bulbs

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E-waste collection and storage is another im- International Telecommunication Union

portant step. In Sri Lanka, collection of e-waste (ITU), International Solid Waste Association
is largely based on informal sector activities (ISWA). UN Environment Program (UNEP),
like dismantling and most of the e-waste re- Global Partnership on Waste Management
mains in households and institutions with- (GPWM), United Nations Institute for Train-
out being collected. They usually end up in ing and Research (UNITAR) are some UN
land fillings, open ground or burning which related entities that provide expertise, tech-
cause huge environmental damage. At this nological and advisory assistance concerning
point the government has a responsibility to e-waste crisis at regional and global level.
get involved and take necessary actions such Furthermore, monitoring the whole man-
as implementing national policy on disposal ufacturing process from design stage to the
of e-waste, forming a legal framework on col- final production stage can maintain relevant
lecting e-waste and maintaining a standard- quality standards of the final product. Regu-
ized national database for the e-waste sector lations for licenses or permits can further reg-
that can regulate the e-waste collection mech- ulate the manufacturing process. Under these
anisms. Under these regulations and frame- conditions upcycled products with an added
works, we can operate an island wide e-waste value have potential to earn higher market
collection network to collect e-waste for up- value while combating the crisis of e-waste.
cycling.
Upcycling e-waste is a concept, which can
initiate with simple creative and innovative
ideas. But for better sustainable and profit-
able outcomes, advanced technological com-
Impact of Upcycling
petencies are essential. Hence, on top of the E-waste
involvement of local educational institutions
Upcycling generally refers to the conver-
and experts, avail collaboration of foreign
sion of waste materials to something useful
technologies can overcome technological bar-
or valuable. In fact, this concept can address
riers.
many environmental and health issues by
Sri Lanka can use environmental diplomacy
slowing the release of toxic chemicals to the
to attract foreign technological experts and in-
environment and reducing its impact on the
vestors. At present, environmental diplomacy
environment. Therefore, upcycling is indeed a
plays a crucial role in international relations
sustainable solution for the growing e-waste
by addressing issues related to environmental
management problem.
security at a multilateral level. It empowers
Other than environmental and health
cooperative negotiations, technological col-
benefits, upcycling can earn many econom-
laboration, economic assistance and research
ic benefits. Newly modified e-waste products
among states to combat global environmental
can meet the needs of various sectors of the
issues. For instance, the United Nations plays
country and as a source of entrepreneurship,
a noteworthy role to tackle the transnation-
upcycling will become a solution for unem-
al and substantial global problem of e-waste.
ployment. Besides, quality upcycled products
Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP),

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will acquire significant prices in the in- Conclusion

ternational market and attract investment Upcycling is the process of transform-
opportunities. Moreover, when exchang- ing discarded materials into something
ing knowledge between countries, it can useful or valuable. Reducing the usage
strengthen the cooperation among coun- of new raw materials can lower ener-
tries and lead to new inventions for the gy consumption, pollution, and green-
betterment of the entire world. house gas emissions. Developing more
Furthermore, e-waste management sustainable solutions is an inevitable
closely relates to the 2030 Agenda for Sus- priority, given that the presence of most
tainable Development. The global crisis of electrical equipment in every home
e-waste poses significant challenges to the is unavoidable. Upcycling provides
achievement of several Sustainable De- homeowners with tax benefits and a
velopment Goals such as SDG 3 on good less expensive, more fun option for fur-
health and well-being, SDG 6 on clean nishing their homes. In the future recy-
waste and sanitation, SDG 8 on decent cling will not be the primary option for
work and economic growth and SDG 14 e-waste disposal, rather it could be one
on life below water. Therefore, preparing of the last possibilities for recovering
an appropriate background for advanc- the value of materials. Therefore by Up-
ing e-waste management through upcy- cycling e-waste, the impact of resource
cling strategies is a must because “Failing extraction on the environment can be
to Prepare Is Preparing to Fail” as said by reduced.
Benjamin Franklin.

Image 10: Upcycling is a key to sustainable goals

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Contributors

E.A.N.C. Edirisingha
Nisali Edirisinghe is pursuing her BA (Hons) degree in International Studies
at University of Kelaniya. Her main research interests include sustainable de-
velopment, foreign policy, and human rights.

B.S.M. Jayalath
Madara Jayalath is pursuing her BA (Hons) degree in Interna-
tional Studies at University of Kelaniya. She is an active volun-
teer in a number on national and international organizations.

Hiruni Himasha
Hiruni Himasha is pursuing her BA (Hons) degree in International
Studies at University of Kelaniya. She is keen on volunteering and her
research interests include human rights, foreign policy and geopolitics.

B.Hiruni Maleesha Ariyarathna

Hiruni Ariyarathna is pursuing her BA (Hons) degree in In-
ternational Studies at University of Kelaniya. Her research in-
terests include geopolitics, foreign policy and human rights.

D.C. Udalagama
Dilini Udalagama is pursuing her BA (Hons) degree in Interna-
tional Studies at University of Kelaniya. Her research interests in-
clude international law, human rights, foreign policy and sustain-
able development.

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