Introduction
Computers changed our history. Computers changed our whole lives. A work station without a computer has become unthinkable. Private households replace their computers regularly after a few years and companies, as a rule, after three years. We are surrounded by electronics in our private and working lives. During the early 1980s, home computers got accessible for personal use. The MS-DOS was the main operating system for personal computers during the 1980s. Before Windows was a simplistic text-based operating system, the first users of DOS were required to memorize universal keyboard shortcuts to help the user access simple functions with ease. The key combination Ctrl and X still remains from that time period. Control-X removes, cuts text fragments or objects.
Since 2011 I am documenting the e-waste trails and consequences of dumping and improper recycling in different countries. Discarded computers, office electronic equipment, entertainment device electronics, mobile phones, television sets, and refrigerators – in short: E-waste which is shipped from the western world to impoverished and under developed regions of the world. These electronic devices are burned for any valuable metals. Noxious fumes fill the air; lead, cadmium, zinc, chrome, nickel and other chemical substances are emitted and damage health: headaches, dizziness, skin rashes and damage to the nervous system are the result. Not to mention the highly toxic residue that contaminates the soil. Those toxic chemicals can leach into the land over time or are released into the atmosphere, also impacting nearby communities and the whole environment. In many European countries, regulations have been introduced to prevent electronic waste being dumped in landfills due to its hazardous content. However, the practice still continues in many countries.