Introduction
E-wastes have presented a serious challenge to concerns on environmental sustainability within the local community. Unlike the organic wastes, e-wastes do not decompose and can remain in the same state for several decades after the end of their usefulness. Thus, this reflective treatise attempts to present an e-waste management module for the local environment explicitly. The e-waste management focuses on the use of computers and other electronic home equipment.
Promoting positive environmental behavior
Recycling
The local council should purchase a container or a bin where used electronic equipment should be stored. Specifically, the council should roll out a comprehensive campaign on the need to dump the e-wastes in these bins. The campaign can be in the form of posters, the creation of a website, and partnership with the local environmental authority (Zhang, 2011).
Establishment of an environmental organization
The council should establish an environment organization or partner with an existing environmental lobby group within the region to offer a lesson on e-waste management. During such lessons, all the stakeholders will embrace the e-waste management and properly dispose of their used computers in the designated areas of e-waste collection (Luther, 2010).
Positive and negative consequences
The positive consequence, such as improved e-waste management awareness, will increase pro-environment behavior by igniting a sense of self-responsibility among the locals on the need to preserve the environment. For instance, the locals will be inspired to observe proper disposal of e-waste as part of self-responsibility. The negative consequence of poor e-waste management, such as poor e-waste disposal, might cue the thoughts of the locals on the need to improve on their environmental awareness, thus joining the local environmental organization proposed. For example, the locals may actually own the idea of environmental conservation upon empowerment by the environmental network (Luther, 2010).
Technological advances in the environment
Technological advancement in the form of computerization of the e-waste management system has made the process sustainable and centralized. For instance, the locals, in conjunction with the council, are in a position to track the recycling and disposal of any e-waste within the entire region. This has significantly reduced instances of e-waste gas poisoning (Prashant, 2008).
The negative impact of technological advancement has been an increase in the use of computers and other electronic products, which are disposed of after a short time. Despite the presence of the e-waste bins, the number of used computers being dumped has increased, thus an increase in exposure to dangerous e-waste gases (Prashant, 2008).
Influence of environmental policies
When designing environmental policies, it is imperative to review the basics of environmental waste management, such as the cost and sustainability elements. Reflectively, environmental policies have made it possible for different waste management initiatives to focus on the best practices and cost-effective ways of managing these wastes at the micro-level. Since the policies focus on encouraging sustainable living, waste management has been transformed into laws that must be obeyed by all citizens. Since the policies propose fines and rewards for waste management efforts, different agencies have been empowered to micromanage sustainability with the support of the major environmental stakeholders (Luther, 2010).
Conclusion
Conclusively, e-waste management involves recycling and awareness campaigns. Waste management strategies should be visible and easy to interpret. There is a need to concentrate on behavioral orientation among the stakeholders to ensure that the positive and negative impact of technological advancements functions within sustainable environmental management policy frameworks. The balance is achievable through the involvement of the locals to ignite a sense of self-responsibility and ownership of each initiative. The environmental laws should then be incorporated to restore disciple among the stakeholders.
References
Luther, L. (2010). Managing electronic waste: Issues with exporting e-waste. New York, NY: DIANE Publishing.
Prashant, N. (2008). Green technology. Norwalk, Connecticut: Wiley and Sons.
Zhang, K. (2011). Recycling of electronic waste ii: Proceedings of the second symposium. New York, NY: Wiley and Sons.