"Where Your Cellphone Goes to Die" Response

The article, "Where Your Cellphone Goes to Die" by Leyla Acaroglu is about how e-waste negatively affects people in impoverished places, and steps that can be taken to help stop this from happening.  It is not acceptable for electronics manufacturers to pay developing countries to take the U.S.'s e-waste.  There are several ways that U.S. cellphone manufacturers can change their e-trash disposal practices.

Exporting e-waste affects the health of women, and children in places like India, China, and Ghana.  The major health issue deals with toxins produced when women, and children attempt to remove materials from the e-waste that they can sell.  For example, "Greenpeace, the Basel Action Network, and others have posted YouTube videos of children inhaling the smoke from burned phone casings as they identify and separate different kinds of plastics for recyclers."  As a result of exporting e-waste the U.S. is indirectly harming women, and children in other countries.

One way that U.S. cellphone manufacturers can change their e-trash disposal practices is by following Japan's example and requiring manufacturers to establish their own recycling facilities.  Or they can make cellphones easier to dismantle, thus reducing the risks posed by crude recycling techniques, like those employed by children in Ghana.

The U.S. can take steps to improve the harmful effect our e-waste has on the world.  It comes down to the government taking action to limit or eliminate the export of toxic waste or to require manufacturers to properly recycle their own products.  We as consumers can also help by replacing these products less often, or pressing for safe recycling.