E-Waste Management in Green Computing

E-Waste Management

 E-Waste management activities include a range of end-of-life disposal approaches that have different impacts on human health and the environment. It can be differentiated between state-of-the-art recycling technologies that follow high standards of environmental and occupational health and dangerous technologies that pose a high risk to both health and the environment and are often implemented in countries where there are no strict standards.

E-Waste for short-or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment is the term used to describe obsolete, end-of-life or disused electrical appliances. This includes machines, consumer electronics, and fridges and so on which their initial owners have disposed of.

"E-waste" is a common term that encompasses all forms of waste involving electrically powered parts. E-Waste contains both valuable materials and hazardous materials which require special methods of handling and recycling.

Examples: Monitors, LCD / CRT displays, cooling systems, mobile phones, etc. include precious metals, plastics retarded by fires, CFC foams and many other substances

Green computing

Green computing also is known as green information technology (green IT), is the analysis and practice of making productive use of computational resources. The objectives are to reduce the use of hazardous materials, maximize the energy efficiency during the lifetime of the product and promote the recyclability or biodegradability of defective products and waste from factories

Definition - Green computing is the environmentally responsible and eco-friendly use of computers and their resources. In broader terms, it is also defined as the study of designing, manufacturing/engineering, using and disposing of computing devices in a way that reduces their environmental impact.

Green computing, or green IT, aims at achieving economic viability and finding new ways in which computing devices are used. Green IT practices include producing environmentally sustainable production practices, building energy-efficient computers and improving disposal and recycling procedures.

E-waste Management and Recycling

Recycle technologies:- 

E-Waste management practices comprise a variety of end-of-life disposal methods that have different impacts on human health and the environment. It can be distinguished between state-of-the-art recycling technologies that meet high standards of environmental and occupational health and hazardous technologies that pose a high risk to both health and the environment and are often applied in countries where there are no strict standards.

Incineration: Incineration is the method of burning down garbage. Due to the variety of substances contained in e-waste, incineration is correlated with a great risk of toxins and toxic substances being produced and dispersed.

Open Burning: Because open fires burn at relatively low temperatures, many more contaminants are emitted at an MSWI-plant than in a regulated incineration process.

State-of-the-art Recycling Technologies.

The state-of-the-art recycling of e-waste comprises three steps

Detoxification The first step in the recycling process is to remove critical components from the e-waste to prevent dilution and/or pollution during downstream operations of toxic substances. Critical components include, for example, lead glass from CRT panels, refrigerated CFC emissions, light bulbs, and batteries.

Shredding Mechanical recycling is the next stage of waste disposal, usually a large-scale manufacturing procedure to receive concentrate of recyclable materials in a designated fraction as well as additional hazardous materials extracted.

Refining The third step in recycling e-waste is refining. It is possible to refine resources in e-waste and the technical solutions exist to get back raw with minimal impact on the environment. Most fractions must be refined or conditioned for sale as secondary raw materials or disposal at a final disposal site, respectively. During the process of processing, care is taken of three substance flows steel, plastics, and glass.

Benefits of recycling

The most effective solution to the rising e-waste problem is the recycling of raw materials from end-of-life electronics. Most electronic devices have a range of materials, including metals that can be recovered for future uses. Through dismantling and creating options for reuse, preserved natural resources are conserved and contamination of air and water caused by dangerous waste is eliminated. Recycling additionally reduces the amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by new product manufacturing.