E-Waste Vocabulary

acid leaching

using chemicals to extract valuable metal from solids, time-consuming and harmful to soil

appliance

a piece of equipment designed to perform a specific, often domestic, task

biomimicry

designing machines and systems in ways that imitate or are like living organisms

cannibalize

using one machine as a source of spare parts for another

Certified B Corporation

companies that have not only profit as their goal but also aiding the well-being of their workers, customers, suppliers, communities, and environment

circular economy

reuse, recycling, and management of e-waste to provide both economic and environmental benefits

consumerism

the idea that buying more goods and services is essential to individuals' happiness and communities' economic prosperity

developing countries

countries where technological and economic development does not meet the populations' food, shelter, health care, and other needs

discard

put aside parts, pieces, or things that are not or no longer useful

disposal

to get rid of parts, components are items that are no longer useful

e-cycle

recycling used electronics either for reuse/refurbishing or to have their parts disassembled and resold

e-waste

electronic equipment that is unwanted, not working, or approaching the end of its useful life; including screened devices, refrigerators, heating equipment, solar panels, radios, speakers, and any other powered device or appliance

environmental racism

pervasive policies and practices which expose people of color to health risk because of nearness to toxic waste

extended producer responsibility

the idea that people or companies creating or transporting e-waste are responsible for safely managing their environmental impact

extract

remove valuable parts, pieces or elements

fraudulent

fake, made up; about e-waste, refers to companies' untrue claims about their e-waste practices or products

Global South

countries classified as low or middle income located in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean

hazardous

dangerous, harmful; specifically, elements in electronic products that can be harmful to humans, animals, plants, and the environment

heavy metals

metals with high density (like mercury and lead, which weigh a lot) and which are also poisonous to humans; often used in electronic products, resulting in e-waste

incinerator

a machine that burns things, especially industrial waste and e-waste, until they are reduced to ash

informal e-waste recycling

collecting discarded electronic equipment through scavenging and other means; re-use, refurbishment, re-purposing, or disassembling for re-sale done by untrained workers

landfill

large areas of land where e-waste and other garbage is dumped, often in giant holes

leach

to remove specific substances from a solid by running liquids through it

lifespan

length of time something (for instance, a living being or an electronic device) is expected to function; also referred to as useful life

linear economy

taking materials from the earth, using these materials to make a product, and then disposing of the product into a landfill at the end of its useful life

offloading

transferring objects or data to another place for storage/disposal; can refer to removing data from devices before disposal or shipping e-waste to another location

photovoltaic (PV)

using light/photons to create electricity, as in solar power

picker

someone who scavenges e-waste (and other) products from waste piles for personal use or resale

planned obsolescence

designing products to have a limited lifespan so that people need to buy new ones regularly

pollution

discharge of harmful materials, including e-waste, into the environment

pre-cycling

designing products for reparability, durability, and effective reuse, remanufacture, or disposal at the end of their lifespan; also referred to as regenerative design

refurbish

to repair and clean up used products— especially electronics— for resale

remanufacture

to use old or recycled products in the creation of new products

reuse

to use part or all of a product for another purpose after its regular lifespan

reverse logistics

systems for transporting discarded goods AWAY from consumers at the end of their lifespan for recycling or disposal

salvage

to remove valuable parts from scavenged waste

scavenge

to dig through garbage and other discarded material, looking for objects that can be reused or have materials that can be recycled

scrap components

metals and other materials extracted from waste that can be remanufactured to make other products

surplus

extra or excess material, products, or money

sustainable

a process or system which can continue to maintain itself over time

tons/tonnes

large units of weight
• tons and tonnes are similar - 1 ton (English units, plural tons) = 2,000 pounds, 1 tonne (metric unit, plural tonnes) = 1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds)

toxins

harmful materials

upgrade

to purchase a new "improved" product or to purchase an "improvement" to an existing product

urban mining

extracting manufacturing materials from e-waste in landfills and other dumpsites