Electronic waste : the leading information ethical concern of the information age

Abstract

Electronic waste (e-waste) is becoming one of the leading global concerns in the information age. This article establishes e-waste as an informational ethical issue impacting the environment as well as the health and well-being of citizens. Furthermore it elaborates on the consequences of the e-waste problem nationally and globally. The current solutions to the e-waste problem as implemented in other countries are considered with specific reference to the feasibility of such solutions in South Africa with mind to the suitability of such solutions in the rest of the African continent. The authors gained insight into the awareness about the e-waste issue as well as the willingness and ability of future information professionals to contribute to the recycling of e-waste in the long term, through the implementation of a survey to undergraduate students within the School of Information Technology. The School of IT (SIT) at the University of Pretoria is a unique institution for tertiary education in the field of information technology and a big contributor to future leaders in the IT industry. Through the incorporation of primary and secondary research the authors hope to contribute to the field of information ethical research on ewaste as well as to present viable and effective methods to combat the problem of e-waste in the third world through collaboration with manufacturers and end-users.