The exponential growth of the information technology industry in recentyears is posing a significant risk to the environment, as the disposalof electrical and electronic equipment waste rapidly expands.
Over the past five years, the industry has grown an average of 45.5percent annually. Total revenue exceeded 25.5 billion USD in 2012 alone,over 94 percent of which came from electronic equipment and hardware.
According to the General Statistics Office, the number ofpersonal computers (PCs) adopted by each household nationwide reached0.17 between 2004 and 2010 while the usage rate of washing machines,refrigerators, air conditioners and television sets jumped by 183percent, 139 percent, 32 percent and 23 percent, respectively.
The capital city of Hanoi is expected to discard 161,000 TVs, 97,000PCs, 178,000 refrigerators, 136,000 washing machines and 97,000 airconditioners by 2020. The southern metropolis Ho Chi Minh City,meanwhile, predicts even higher disposal rates, with 700,000 TVs,290,000 PCs; 424,000 refrigerators, 339,000 washing machines and 330,000air conditioners.
A recent survey conducted in Hanoi and HoChi Minh City by an Asia-Pacific consortium of IT corporations and theUniversity of Science and Technology’s Institute for EnvironmentalScience and Technology showed that between 81 and 100 percent ofrespondents would rather sell their second-hand electronic items toscrap-iron dealers or private electronic repair shops than donate themto e-waste treatment companies.
Disposed of items aregenerally dismantled and usable parts repurposed, while the remainingcomponents are usually burnt or dumped in landfills.
Only threeout of 15 e-waste treatment facilities are performing at their expectedcapacity, handling an average of 9,000-11,000 tonnes per year, a farcry from the estimated 61,000 – 113,000 tonnes in need of treatment.High recycling costs and a lack of support from relevant agencies havebeen attributed to this gap.-VNA
Over the past five years, the industry has grown an average of 45.5percent annually. Total revenue exceeded 25.5 billion USD in 2012 alone,over 94 percent of which came from electronic equipment and hardware.
According to the General Statistics Office, the number ofpersonal computers (PCs) adopted by each household nationwide reached0.17 between 2004 and 2010 while the usage rate of washing machines,refrigerators, air conditioners and television sets jumped by 183percent, 139 percent, 32 percent and 23 percent, respectively.
The capital city of Hanoi is expected to discard 161,000 TVs, 97,000PCs, 178,000 refrigerators, 136,000 washing machines and 97,000 airconditioners by 2020. The southern metropolis Ho Chi Minh City,meanwhile, predicts even higher disposal rates, with 700,000 TVs,290,000 PCs; 424,000 refrigerators, 339,000 washing machines and 330,000air conditioners.
A recent survey conducted in Hanoi and HoChi Minh City by an Asia-Pacific consortium of IT corporations and theUniversity of Science and Technology’s Institute for EnvironmentalScience and Technology showed that between 81 and 100 percent ofrespondents would rather sell their second-hand electronic items toscrap-iron dealers or private electronic repair shops than donate themto e-waste treatment companies.
Disposed of items aregenerally dismantled and usable parts repurposed, while the remainingcomponents are usually burnt or dumped in landfills.
Only threeout of 15 e-waste treatment facilities are performing at their expectedcapacity, handling an average of 9,000-11,000 tonnes per year, a farcry from the estimated 61,000 – 113,000 tonnes in need of treatment.High recycling costs and a lack of support from relevant agencies havebeen attributed to this gap.-VNA
