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KT for good: There's plastic in your smartphone, too

This means every time you throw your old phone, laptop or tablet away, you are contributing to the plastic pollution problem.

When we think about plastics, we immediately think of straws, plastic bags, and disposable spoons and forks, but that's not the case anymore. Grab your smartphone and look more closely: All your electronic gadgets have plastics in them, too.
This means every time you throw your old phone, laptop or tablet away, you are contributing to the plastic pollution problem.

These discarded items become e-waste, which is also one of the fastest growing waste on the planet with an annual growth rate of three to four per cent. And e-waste generation is expected to reach 52.2 million tonnes per year by 2021. Currently, only 15 per cent of them are recycled.
So, how much plastic do they contain? Almost 20 per cent of e-waste is made up of plastic. Computers, cell phones, televisions and microwaves have durable, lightweight and cheap plastic components.
With both the e-waste and plastic woes growing exponentially, eco-conscious groups and organisations are working hard on solutions that could save the planet from a 'mega waste take-over'.
For one, electronics recycling provider Enviroserve on Wednesday launched the world's largest integrated facility that processes electrical and electronic equipment waste (WEEE), among other specialised wastes, at the Dubai Industrial Park.
The facility has the capacity of recycling 39,000 tonnes of electronic waste annually in the most eco-friendly way possible.
Spread across 280,000 square feet, The Recycling Hub (TRH) is said to be the largest of its kind in the world.

It was inaugurated by Sheikh Mohammed bin Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan; Saif Mohamed AlShara, assistant undersecretary for the sustainable communities sector at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment; Abdulla Belhoul, chief commercial officer of Tecom Group; Saud Abu Al-Shawareb, managing director of Dubai Industrial Park; Stuart Fleming, co-founder and group CEO, Enviroserve; and Brian Wilkie, chairman of Enviroserve.
"The beauty of this facility is that they are recycling used as well as new unused electronics. They are using solar panels to generate renewable energy and it is the largest of the world. It is a reflection of the UAE's journey towards becoming a global platform that attracts innovative businesses and a successful model of the new green economy," said Saud Abu Al Shawareb, managing director of the Dubai Industrial Park, during the launch.
The Recycling Hub is also the only end-to-end waste electrical and electronic equipment recycling plant in the region, making it the Middle East's first renewable energy-powered recycling facility.
The Dh120-million project is backed by the Swiss Government Export Finance Agency and represents one of the largest foreign direct investments in the field of environmental management to date in the UAE.
Enviroserve's green recycling facility in Dubai will service international e-waste recycling efforts across Africa, Middle East and Caucasus.
saman@khaleejtimes.com