Discard old smartphones, earphones and other e-waste responsibly

This is why the 2022 slogan for International E-Waste Day, marked on Friday, “Recycle it All, No Matter How Small!” Mobile phone operator Advanced Info Service (AIS) also used the day to reboot the e-waste recycling campaign it had launched in 2019.

Saichon Submakudom, AIS’s public relations chief, said the company aims to raise awareness of the problems created by e-waste and help manage it properly.

People are encouraged to drop off their small e-waste at 2,400 AIS shops and distributors across the country, as well as at nearby post offices.

The project, launched by AIS and 142 partners, has so far collected 351,300 pieces of small e-waste. This amount reduces greenhouse gases by 3.51 million kilos, which is equivalent to planting 390,333 large trees.

AIS hopes the number will grow to 500,000 by 2023 and is calling on people to drop off their unused phones, tablets, chargers, earphones, phone batteries and other small e-waste.

International E-Waste Day was founded on October 14, 2002, in a bid to encourage people to be responsible when it comes to discarding small e-waste.

According to the United Nations, 22 million tonnes of small e-waste was created worldwide in 2019. This accounts for 40 per cent of all e-waste discarded that year.

The UN reckons that if this amount rises by 3 per cent yearly, then small e-waste can hit 29 million tonnes per year by 2030, which would be disastrous for the environment if not dealt with properly.