Ctrl‐Alt‐Recycle: E‐waste and the intersections between culture and technology

The information and telecommunication revolution has led to a very real change in the behavior of people in developed nations, specifically their increasing dependency on technological tools. We not only use these electronics for work and communication, but they have also become an essential part of our culture and a source of daily entertainment for many people all over the world. But what are the results on the environment of people constantly upgrading and replacing their computers and cell phones? For example, where do discarded electronics end up? Further how has over-consumption in our society—at both the personal and industry level—contributed to the multiplying of electronic waste? In addition, especially in North America, are consumers' attitudes influencing the burgeoning of this waste? Are most people aware of what happens to their rejected phones and computers or are they detached from and indifferent to the increasingly critical problems surrounding the disposal of their end-of-life tools?

In this paper I explore what electronic waste is and its dimensions. As well as going deeper into the intersections between culture and technology and how these connections in turn contribute to the quandary of electronic waste. Using research from scholarly journals, statistics, and analysis, I cover the avenues in which culture and electronic waste overlap. Further, I explore the issue of electronic waste and how it is inherently affected by our culture, our attitudes and our lifestyle.