Outcome 4 Assessment Professionalism and Ethics in Computing

 

Answering the following scenario on disposing of old electronical equipment on Landfill and Recycling.

There are two methods that can be used which are Landfill and Recycling. Here are there pros and cons.

First off with landfill, if this was the route you decided to go down there are pros and cons are

 

Pro:

·        ‘The majority of waste that would normally go into landfill sites can be re-used’

·        ‘There will always be a reliable source of fuel as people will always have waste’

·        ‘Current landfill sites can be mined out and the landfill material used as fuel’

 

Quoted from http://www.brightknowledge.org/knowledge-bank/geography-and-environment/features-and-resources/waste-to-energy-pros-and-cons

Cons:

• ‘People have said there could be a risk in groundwater contamination and if the controlled measures are failed then there is risks to contaminating local rivers that obviously give water supplies.’

• ‘The stigma of a ‘trash dump’ has an increasing negativity to impact local property surroundings and making their property values decrease because of the locations of Landfill sights.’

Quoted from

 

Now for recycling Pros and cons

Pros:

• ‘Reduces energy consumption’

• ‘Reduces amount of waste of Landfills’

• ‘Reduces pollution’

Cons:

• ‘Not always cost effective’

• ‘Unsafe and unhygienic recycling sites’

• ‘High initial cost’

Taken directly from ‘http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-recycling.php’

 

But as it looks there are other and better ways to dispose of your unwanted goods which is why the WEEE (the Waste and Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations) was created to help with this matter, but even certain parts of Code of conduct actually have places in them where ‘Have due regard for public health, privacy, security and wellbeing of others and the environment’ appears like this one straight from the BCS Code of Conduct.

 

Maybe using both together stripping all reusable and chemical components out in India and then sending the unusable components to East Asia may be the answer.

But there may be another alternative to recycling or landfill by keeping the mobile devices here and giving them away to charity or donating to places such as Oxfam they use the money they make from selling the phones on to help others, something for the company to think about. After donation the phones are then used and given a make-over then either found new owners if it’s possible, the money that comes from this goes to the aid of charities like Oxfam or others across Africa and Asia.