1.4 The Dark and Bright Sides of E-waste
Like two side of a coin, electronic waste has the ugly and the good sides. Being a highly complex waste stream e-waste contains both very scarce and valuable as well as highly toxic components.
1.4.1 Ugly Side
Electronic materials contain substantial amounts of lead and other substances which are harmful to the body.. Unfortunately, they are either dumped at landfills or burnt. Worst still, some of the developed countries have been sending large amounts of e-waste to developing countries such as China, India, and Nigeria where there are poor environmental standards. By so doing, they are indirectly converting them to waste dump sites for the developed countries. 1.4.2 Economic Perspective As e-waste also contains valuable substances, it also serves as source of secondary raw materials or wealth when properly treated. This achieved through recycling to extract precious materials from he e-waste stream. The objectives of this study are to gain an understanding of e-waste, its substances and associated hazards; to review the various e-waste management options and to stress that e-waste contains several precious materials that can be extracted through recycling. This paper is divided into five chapters. Of course, chapter one is the introduction. In chapter two, there is a review of e-waste management efforts. Chapter three deals extensively on processes employed in extracting gems from e-waste. The emerging trends in e-waste threats and opportunities are handled in chapter four while chapter five is the conclusion.