Zeng, X., Li, J., Stevels, A.,

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Introduction

William Sauser is an author who has been working on environmental work that is going to change the way we use technology. In his article, Ethical Issues in Electronic Waste Disposal: Philosophical Analysis and Proposed Solutions, Saucer does an in depth analysis looking into possible solutions that could put a potential end to the release of heavy metals through E-waste. Through following a destroyed computer in North America to be melted down by the poor in China, William emphasizes that these possible solutions cannot come soon enough. The author offers two possible minor solutions aimed at the average person as well as corporate executives, which will in the end meet in moderately satisfying both parties.


Outline

E-waste is becoming a greater issue every year, but certain environmental scientists have found multiple approaches to fixing this ever lasting issue. The first potential solutions were by Widmer and his article the Environmental Impact Assessment Review. Within this potential solution there were some interesting findings, one of which draws upon that the main driver for the people who have power to create change must be done through their moral will among governments, producers, recyclers, and the populace to put an effective system into operation. The second major finding was also identified through self-regulation method. Adobor and McMullen main points argue in their environmental articles that self-regulation is preferable for people over traditional government regulation, and suggest that when using self-regulation powerful industrial partners, combined with moral outraged customers, can take global action on these unethical issues.


What is self regulation?

Self-regulation as defined by Sauser “Industry self-regulation has been defined as a regulatory process whereby an industry-level, as opposed to government- or firm-level, organization sets and enforces rules and standards relating to the conduct of firms in the industry.” (Sauser, 21).


Potential solutions

There are two changes that can be made for potential solutions that are based off of self-regulation. This potential solution pushes the responsibility onto the consumer aspiring them to make changes and fight against large industrial participants. This solution first proposed by Widmer is to combine approaches of how organizations want to create greater profit and how consumers through ethical issues are able to raise greater awareness. A major strength to this portion of the article is that it seeks to combine small potential solution approaches which in this instance is the small changes consumers are making and the large organizations. What this specific example goes more into detail about is that large organizations already have more potential solutions for replacing their unethical ways, but they won’t use them because they don’t have to. This potential solution specifically targets consumers desire for a healthier planet and combines it with a large organization desire to fulfill that group of consumers needs. A consumer can affect self-regulation through initiatives such as code of conduct, reporting activities and certification schemes. Through these activities, consumers in separate countries and industry leaders can make a change because, unlike self-regulation by specific firms in a country, a single global self-regulatory regime is more transactional and would involve firms from different nations agreeing to a single global code of conduct in all market which they do business. This is not only a potential solution but is preferable to imposed governmental regulation, and self-regulation can be considered in cases where powerful industrial partners in combination with morally outraged consumers can take global action to solve global ethical issues.

Self-regulation as a potential solution has to commit the consumers to fight, but also encourage the organization to make serious solutions in order to better fit consumers needs. In the article a major strength exhibited was how Sauser filtered through different examples of top executive to find the best practices for green solutions.


The article found 12 practices executives can perform to better push green solutions:

1. Assure commitment from top management for an organizational culture of ethicality related to e-waste management throughout its lifecycle (i.e. electronics manufacturing, organizational use, reuse/recycling and disposal);

2. Construct a written code of standards for behavior related to e-waste management;

3. Communicate the standards of conduct related to e-waste management effectively throughout the organization (and the industry);

4. Conduct ongoing training and education programs with respect to business ethics, sustainability, and corporate responsibility as they relate to e-waste;

5. Designate a compliance officer with clear responsibility for enforcing the e-waste standards to include ensuring that the organization regularly conducts an e-waste management audit;

6. Establish a process for reporting violations of the standards of conduct;

7. Maintain confidentiality and ‘whistle blower’ protection;

8. Actively investigate all reported violations regarding disposal of e-waste—in short, aggressively track the e-waste once it moves beyond the organization;

9. Ensure effective enforcement, compliance, and e-waste oversight programs;

10. Ensure due diligence and active investigation by the organization’s board of directors (and industry leaders) related to e-waste management;

11. Monitor and audit electronic waste transactions;

12. Attend carefully to the law and make certain that all e-waste actions, policies, and procedures are conducted lawfully and according to accepted industry and global standards.


Sauser states that he believes that through these 12 best e-waste practices green solutions, most employees who have adopted them have supported them, which means that ethics is a core component to the issue. By carefully critiquing each industries system to best fit it standards and meet green requirements, it is not only profitable, but sustainable. One weakness found during the discovery of this fact was how the information was aimed at every industry and its very unrealistic that the set of broad objectives will sufficiently represent what every industry should actually be specifically accomplishing. A more in-depth analysis for every industry sector would be required to build upon this possible green solution for consumers and business in the economic sector.


Conclusion

This article has shed light on the potential raise to not only raise awareness but make an environmentally difference. By understanding that employees of industrial corporations support the green changes it becomes abundantly obvious that it is an ethical issue, between making money and the environment, as well as simply corporate greed. Through two potential solutions one aimed at consumer and the other at corporate executive serious changes can be made as well as both parties being sufficiently satisfied with the outcome results.

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