Term Paper (e-Waste)

Electronic waste or e-waste describes electrical or electronic devices. E-waste is also

considered to be used as electronics for refurbishment, reuse and resale, recycling or disposal
of materials. Most e-waste may contain materials that are potentially hazardous and toxic to
our health and the environment when it is simply discarded. In addition, the smaller parts that
make up the entire unit can be spared for a new purpose in other projects and devices.

1. What do you do with working electronic/electrical products that you no longer use?
(Multiple choose)
 Put into storage
 Give to a friend
 Sell on as second-hand
 Take to the local recycling centre
 Strip for spare parts/materials

2. What do you do with broken electronic/electrical products? (Multiple choose)

 Put into storage
 Give to a friend
 Sell on as second-hand
 Take to the local recycling centre
 Strip for spare parts/materials

3. How much do you know about the materials used in electronic/electrical products?
(Choose 1 only or in Range)
o 0 – I know nothing
o 1 – I don’t know much
o 2 – I know a bit
o 3 – I know more than average
o 4 – O know quite a lot
o 5 – I know about all stages
4. Which factors would affect your choice whether to repair an object or not? (Multiple
choose)
 Price of repair compared with replacing
 Availability of spare parts
 Need to disassemble a product
 Knowledge of skills needed to repair
 Warranty of product

5. Which factors would affect your trading in your old products for a cash reward? (Multiple
choose)
 Emotional attachment to the product
 The initial cost of the product
 The reparability of the product
 Logistics of the service (i.e. postage, collection)

6. As far as you know, do any of the following electronic devices contain materials that
hazardous for the environment? (Multiple choose)
 Personal computers (i.e. desktop, laptop)
 Monitors
 Keyboards
 Tablet computers
 Cell phones
 Printers
 Copying machines
 None of the above

7. To dispose of these devices, companies and individuals should? (Multiple choose)

 Put them in the trash so they can go in a landfill or incinerator
 Return them to the retailer
 Return them to the manufacturer
 Recycle them with a certified recycler

8. Electronic waste can be hazardous for the environment because it contains toxic materials
that can pollute the air or groundwater? (Choose 1 only)
o True
o False
9.