E-wastes contain materials harmful to the environment.
According to Enrique Dela Cruz, DPW’s solid waste branch manager, a TV for example has a part that is made of hazardous material. Its cathode ray tube or CRT contains lead that leaks when the device breaks.
One of the electronic repairmen on island said a certain amount of gas is unleashed when CRTs are broken.
This gas is harmful to people.
Last week, a resident from San Vicente had a hard time disposing of his broken TV set. He brought it to the transfer station but was told it no longer accepted e-wastes.
The resident who for some reason could not keep the broken TV at his home called Variety for help. He was advised to try his luck with the Division of Environmental Quality whose safe drinking water program manager, Joe Kaipat, took the TV.
Kaipat in an interview said he was surprised that broken TV sets could no longer be brought to the transfer station. Because he cares a lot about the environment, he had to accept the TV so it would not end somewhere inappropriate and unsafe.
“I want to get into the bottom of this,” Kaipat said referring to the lack of place to dump broken appliances.
He said he picks up trash all the way to the boonies where he always sees the kinds of junk.
But Dela Cruz said the transfer station’s policy on e-wastes is just temporary.
By October, he said the government will come up with the best means of getting rid of e-wastes.
“Just for now, we’re not accepting e-wastes because we are trying to come up with a rate for disposing them of,” he said.
He noted that e-wastes are usually obsolete appliances and devices. As new models come out, people buy new appliances and stop using the old ones.
Getting rid of e-wastes has been a challenge not only on Saipan.
“It’s a big environmental problem worldwide,” Dela Cruz said.
Right now, e-wastes in the CNMI have to be shipped off island and this costs money.
For now, he added, people can keep their e-wastes in the garage if they don’t have a vacant room.
Don’t tear the appliance unit apart specially the TV set which is made mostly of glass. Keep it together as much as possible.
Those who make a living out of repairing TVs and other electronic appliances have a lot of e-wastes.
An electrician, Jayjay, said his workplace is now full of un-repairable electronic appliances his clients have left behind.
He said some parts like the semi-conductors, the integrated circuits, transformers, screws and small wires can be reused for other electronic appliances. However, only those who have the know-how can re-use these e-wastes.
E-wastes in the NMI
E-WASTES contain toxins that include polyvinyl chloride (PVC plastics), copper, lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, manganese, cobalt and iron:
TV, (flat screen led and plasma, cathode ray tubes)
CPUs
Peripherals (monitors, keyboard, mouse, printer, hard disk, graphics tablet, scanner, webcams, joystick or paddle)
CD players
Mobile or cell phones
Microwave ovens
Radios
VCRs and DVD players
Laptops
Copiers
Fax machines
Battery backups
Surge protectors
Electronic typewriters
Digital cameras
Chargers
Corded and cordless phones
Electronic toys
Video games
Adding machines
Boom boxes
