E-Wasting Away: An Abstract of "High-Tech Trash" by Chris Carroll

In his informative article "High-Tech Trash," Chris Carroll tells the somewhat disturbing story of what happens to electronic waste, or e-waste, that people all over the world dispose of at an overwhelming rate. Carroll claims that the world has come to a place where the safety of individuals is being compromised in order to keep production and disposal running smoothly. He states, "The key to making money is speed, not safety" (31). The safety and welfare of individuals, and children, in developing countries is being put at stake in order for the United States to get rid of its trash quickly and without much thought. Not only that, but Americans do not realize that they are also harming themselves with their ignorant habit of polluting lesser developed countries. This unsafe and slap-dash disposal of waste releases harmful toxins into the environment like mercury and lead, and the presence of such toxins threatens human health as well. As if this is not enough shocking information to take in, Carroll provides powerful anecdotes of his personal trips to such countries where profuse e-waste disposal is taking place.

Carroll describes that developed nations are in the midst of an age of obsolescence where technological systems are constantly being replaced by new and improved ones. Americans, especially, get sucked into this idea that if there is a new product on the market, they must have it in a moment's time. In reality, there is nothing wrong with lightly-aged systems besides the fact that they get discarded in landfills and barren fields in countries like Ghana and China. Government organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have attempted to pass legislation, such as the Basel Convention, to end waste disposal to lesser developed countries, but no such legislation has been passed. Legislators do not believe it wise to restrict locations like China and India for global use and negotiation. Carroll assumes that this is a problem that ever American and company that outsources their waste participates in. There are plenty of groups that make it their priority to dispose of waste in a mindful manner. Furthermore, he does not include examples of successful recycling organizations or companies that control where their e-waste goes. In this way, Carroll takes advantage of the topic's low-profile among Americans so that he can accentuate the wrong-doings of e-waste and persuade the readers to become more actively involved in the issue.