October 20th, 2015: Students from the School of Public Health & Health Sciences at Canadian University Dubai (CUD) have been given a fascinating insight into the personal as well as environmental effects of electronic waste disposal at a guest lecture led by recycling expert, Mr. Ken Neil.
Representing UAskmE, a specialist e-waste management organization based in the UAE, Mr. Neil revealed how the unregulated disposal of unwanted electronic equipment can have alarming consequences, from polluting drinking water supplies to spreading cybercrime.
Speaking about the proliferation of mobile phones in particular, and the dangers of disposing of them in an uncontrolled way, Mr. Neil said, “Many people simply do not realize the wealth of personal data they carry on their phones, and unknowingly expose themselves to the serious threat of identity theft when they discard or recycle their unwanted handset.”
Going on to discuss the consequences of dumping redundant electronic devices, Mr. Neil revealed how a single mobile phone can pollute 600,000 liters of water, and how poisons released from heavy metals used in equipment manufacture can have serious implications for public health.
He also highlighted some of the emerging strategies that are being developed in different parts of the world to try and tackle the problem, and spoke about the unique work of UAskmE in supporting individuals and organizations to safely and efficiently retire unused electronic equipment.
For senior students Hiba Saleem, Aliyah Salim, Nada Hashish, and Maria Conception, the lecture was a valuable insight into the future challenges of the environmental sustainability sector.
Maria said, “The lecture really opened my eyes to the extent of the e-waste problem, how dangerous it can be, and how even the most advanced economies still have a long way to go in finding workable solutions to the challenge.”
Nada, meanwhile, stressed the importance of civic engagement in tacking the problem, saying, “Raising public awareness of the implications of e-waste disposal is vital, as is developing the policies and infrastructure to deal with the waste in effectively.”
For Aliyah, it reinforced the mantra to reduce, reuse and recycle. She said, “We need to start by trying to promote a change in mindset to help lessen the over-consumption of electronic devices and encourage more recycling solutions.”
The guest lecture was organized by faculty member, Mr. Ryan Sisson, as part of CUD’s mission to embed applied learning into the curriculum, allowing undergraduate students to interact with industry experts and hear about the latest sector developments from leading professionals in the field.
For Hiba, it was one of many initiatives that have helped to develop her skills and understanding of the sector. She said, “The practical projects and guest lectures such as this have prepared us to think about solutions to the real-world problems that we will face in the professional world.”
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