The aim of this new media documentary is to draw attention to the damage caused to nature by glorified electronic devices and consumer culture. While e-waste is photographed as "man-made wonders", on the other side of the coin, the fate of these devices that turn into e-waste after their end-of-life is questioned...
Only 20% of the millions of tons of e-waste generated worldwide can be collected and recycled. Recycling of many informatics, telecommunications and consumer equipment such as mobile phones and computers has become a global issue.
Why has electronic waste become a growing problem?
All electrical and electronic items we use, such as televisions, monitors, computers, mobile phones, cordless phones, information and telecommunication equipment, lighting equipment, small household appliances, and electrical toys, must be recycled after their useful life is completed.
The use of electric/electronic vehicles is increasing in many areas outside the home and workplace, such as transportation, health, security and energy production systems. The fact that even traditional products such as clothing and furniture are increasingly equipped with electrical systems further increases the global amount of e-waste. With the rapidly growing internet of things, the increase in sensors and devices needed to realize concepts such as "smart home" or "smart city" has again increased the amount of e-waste to gigantic levels.
Global E-waste Amount by Years (Million Tons)
Many different natural resources need to be used for the production of electronic devices.
Recycling e-waste limits the need for underground mines to produce electronic devices and reduces natural areas destroyed by mines.
Water Usage in Microchip Production
A standard microchip manufacturing facility consumes approximately four million gallons of ultrapure water per day. This amount of water spent is equal to the daily water consumption of 66.410 people in Turkey. There are more than 500 microchip factories in the world. The daily water consumption of these factories is more than the daily water consumption of 33 million people.
The “crisis” in microchip production is directly related to water scarcity due to climate change.
Recycling Instead of Mines
To obtain 1 kg of iron, 200kg of metal needs to be processed, while processing 2 kg of e-waste is sufficient.
To obtain 1 kg of copper, 200kg of metal needs to be processed, while processing 13 kg of e-waste is sufficient.
To obtain 1 kg of gold, 240.000.000 kg of metal needs to be processed, while processing 100.000 kg of e-waste is sufficient.
Limited Recycling
The number of establishments that can convert critical e-waste such as Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) and mercury lamps used in traditional television and computer monitors is limited.
Only five smelters in the world can recycle printed circuit boards in accordance with international standards.
Electronic Waste Management
Four Different Methods
Four different methods are generally applied in electronic waste management. Methods carried out in accordance with standards aim to minimize the negative environmental effects of the recycling process. Other methods have negative effects on human health and the environment.
Registered Global e-Waste
%16
Global amount of e-waste recorded and properly recycled
e-Waste Transported Overseas
%93
93% of the e-waste taken out of the United States is sent to the Asian continent, and the remaining 7% to Canada and Mexico.
From Rich Countries to Poor Countries
%77
77% of used electronic devices imported by Nigeria are sent from Europe. Even though most of these devices appear as used electronic devices in official records, the vast majority of these devices brought into the country are e-waste.
Global E-Waste Routes
Recycling of the E-Waste Transported from America and Europe to Africa
As a result of the consumption culture that constantly encourages the purchase of new electronic devices, rich countries in North America and Europe faced mountains of electronic waste and found the solution to send these wastes to poor countries. Electronic waste, which is sent to African and Far East countries, most of it unregistered, is tried to be recycled under non-standard and unhealthy conditions.
Designers
Ergin Şafak Dikmen (Project Coordinator)
Esra Özgür (Project Assistant)
Sources
Map 1 adapted from: Forti V., Baldé C.P., Kuehr R., Bel G. The Global E-waste Monitor 2020: Quantities, flows and the circular economy potential. United Nations University (UNU)/United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) – co-hosted SCYCLE Programme, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) & International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), Bonn/Geneva/Rotterdam.
Map 2 adapted from: C.P. Baldé, E. D’Angelo, V. Luda O. Deubzer, and R. Kuehr (2022), Global Transboundary E-waste Flows Monitor – 2022, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), Bonn, Germany.
Photograph 1: Ergin Şafak Dikmen (2022), Bolu Kıbrısçık.
Fotoğraf 2: Oğuzhan Burak (2022), İlef Photography Studio – Ankara.
Pictogram: Interactive Video by tulpahn from NounProject.com
Photograph 3: Ergin Şafak Dikmen (2022), Bolu Kıbrısçık.
Fotoğraf 4: Ergin Şafak Dikmen (2022), Bolu Kıbrısçık.
Fotoğraf 4: Ergin Şafak Dikmen (2022), Bolu Kıbrısçık.
Photograph 5: Muntaka Chasant (2019), Wikimedia – CC. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Agbogbloshie,_Ghana_-_September_2019.jpg
Photograph 6: Marlenenapoli (2011), Wikimedia – CC. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Agbogbloshie.JPG
Animation 1: Animated by: Esra Özgür, İllüstrasyon: UNU/UNITAR SCYCLE – Nienke Haccoû. Visuals and texts are adapted from the “The Global E-waste Monitor 2020” Report. Go to the Report: https://ewastemonitor.info/gem-2020/
,Photograph 7: Muntaka Chasant (2019), Wikimedia- CC. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Agbogbloshie,_Ghana_2019.jpg
Photograph 8: Jcaravanos (2010), Wikimedia – CC. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:E-waste_workers.jpg
Interface Design: Ergin Şafak Dikmen
360 Photography/ video making: Ergin Şafak Dikmen (2022), Ankara University Communication Faculty Studios & Bolu Kıbrısçık
360 VR editing: Esra Özgür
E-waste Awareness Studies
360° E-Waste (Experimental Movie)
This study is an experimental video made to draw attention to electronic waste.
You can watch this interactive video developed for virtual reality platforms. You can also experience the video via computers or with mobile phone by turning the device in different directions.
Dark Side of Information Technology: Electronic Waste (E. Şafak Dikmen )
9-10 June 2022 – Istanbul Yeni Yüzyıl University Communication Faculty Communication Congress in the New Century, “Dark Side of Information Technology: Electronic Waste:”
Congress program book: https://yyik.yeniyuzyil.edu.tr/