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| Tech companies avoid liability for e-waste |
British lawmakers said: Because of the increase in the amount of e-waste, Amazon and Apple are abandoning their environmental care.
The EAC Survey of Electronic Waste found that high-tech companies are responsible for the sales behavior that occurs when customers dispose of their products.
More than 150,000 tons of e-waste is disposed of in the UK every year as we dispose of damaged or old computers, smartphones and other electronic devices.
The Environmental Audit Committee investigation found that companies like Amazon and Apple have evaded environmental stewardship of the products they have been selling for too long.
He added: There is no way to recycle the precious metals, which can be a big problem because renewable energy sources require rare materials such as wind turbines, solar panels and batteries for electric cars.
The precious metals in laptops and smartphones include gold, silver, and platinum.
The estimated value of all these materials in discarded electronics is $ 62.5 billion per year.
According to the report, the UK lags far behind other countries in terms of e-waste disposal, and the UK produces 23.9 kilograms of e-waste per person annually.
Most of this e-waste is burned or sent to a landfill. It is estimated that around 40% of e-waste is sent illegally to other countries.
Under applicable law, manufacturers and distributors of electronic products are responsible for this waste, but it is clear that they have not assumed this responsibility.
EAC requires the online marketplace to collect products and pay recycling fees in order to level the playing field for real retailers and manufacturers who are not selling their products on all platforms.
Apple said the EAC report surprised him. The investigation did not reflect the company's efforts to conserve and recycle resources.
A company spokesperson said: “Customers have more options than ever to replace, recycle and maintain high-quality repairs. The latest iPhones and iPads use recycled materials… as their major components.
An Amazon spokesperson said: Amazon is committed to reducing waste and helping customers reuse, repair and recycle products. We have a number of options that anyone can easily access through Amazon Second Chance.
“Over the past decade, we have supported the recycling of more than 10,000 tons of e-waste in the UK.