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week 9 [20-26.05.2019] Each device has a life cycle


Each device has a life cycle

When buying a new electronic device, a smartphone, camera or printer, we start a certain cycle. The video presents one of the stages of this cycle. Actually its end or the beginning if we look at it from the point of view of recovering raw materials. I mentioned the cycle because the Polish people also participate in it. I do not mean consumers. Looking at the video, I feel that these people are being used in some way. It seems to me that in a different way but in Poland too, we have a problem with it. We produce in China, we utilize it in Africa by getting rid of the problem. And what about Poland? It seems to me that in Poland we do office work (administration, programming etc.) for these companies for much lower rates than in Europe. In Warsaw, a skyscraper is being built one after another. I think in some sense we're Chinese underpaid office workers.  


1.      Have you heard about this type of "recycling"  as in the video?
2.      Do you think that corporations are using low earnings in Eastern Europe?
3.      Do you see any solution to the problem of using less-developed countries?

Comments

Bartosz Barnat said…
I have never heard about something like that and it's my first contact with whole cities and people living in the garbage. It brings back the episode with people from the walking dead living in rubbish dump.

Well I don't know what to think just because I'm not following this type of stuff and it doesn't matter what I think because I simple don't know the topic.

When it comes to the solution the problem is really big in many countries and places in the world and it's really hard to make it go away. I guess the solution would be to change the way we live, it's simple as that, but when we really think about it for a while a thought comes to our minds that simple change isn't that simple. We would have to change our whole way of living and we would have to spend a lot more money on it and as we all know not many people can spend this money to make a world more eco place.

It's horrible how much garbage there is. I haven't heard about such recycling. You can definitely use this trash, you just need to know how.
SAVE the WORLD from garbage that we do ourselves!

I am sure that large corporations use low earnings not only in Eastern Europe, but also around the world.

I can't unambiguously help in solving this problem. It is certainly very difficult and help from other countries is needed. We can make this world better but only as a big comunity. Together.
One thing that becomes painfully obvious at a certain point -- nobody actually gives care about planet. And about poor countries. But there are many ways to exploit them and gain more money. I don't know about politics of big corporations outside of my work field, (my guess is that everything is the same), but in the game dev industry the perfect example of such exploit is Ubisoft. While many companies open offices and departments in UK, Germany, Netherlands, etc. Ubisoft has its main office in France, while secondary offices -- Bucharest, Romania, Kiev, Ukraine, Delhi, India. Clearly, the company's goal is to exploit cheap workforce in less developed countries and, as a result, much lower salaries and working condition expectations for same amount of required jobs. It's a widespread practice and there is nothing impending in sight to be about to stop it.
Unfortunately, for the first time I met with this type of "recycling". I must personally add that this reportage was very informative. It is scary how these people earn and under what conditions they live. What's more frightening is that there is no prospect of improving their lives. Certainly the corporations responsible for the disposal of this garbage will, at all costs, ensure that such a state stays there.

Yes of course. A good example is Samsung, which has moved the main development from London to Warsaw. The reason is simple. Lower costs at every level. Employees can pay less than in London. Office rent is cheaper and better geolocation. This is a pure calculation which is more profitable to minimize costs and increase revenues. This is what capitalism is all about.

Unfortunately, I do not know how to help them. I think that in the interest of every capitalist economy there is a maximum increase with minimal losses. It is modern slavery. Where for a very narrow group, a lot of people work for small benefits. Unfortunately, there are no signs of change.
1. Honestly, I didn’t. I know that it is popular to say that the poverty of Africa is everyone’s fault and all other countries of the world should help, but in my opinion, it is African countries’ fault on the first place. They were exploited over the era of colonialism for sure, but now they are independent and can develop their economy however they want. They are poor because they are not able to build an economy properly. They have huge dumps of scrapped electronics because they allowed it to cross their border. Those poor children who have to work instead of going to school are suffering because of the government of Ghana.

2. Low salaries of employees in Eastern Europe is not the result of “greedy, evil” corporations, but the conditions on our market. We earn less than our western equivalents because we agree to be paid like that. I think that it is great that western companies invest in eastern countries and gives us the opportunity to develop and a place to work. There is nothing wrong in paying less for work of people in less developed countries. It actually speeds up the growth of such countries. If we want to earn more, first thing to change are thieves of the government who punish us with a fine for work.

3. Yes – the solution is to restore the true capitalism, lower taxes and destroy benefits for those who don’t work.
Maciej Sadoś said…
1. I have heard about that kind of practices but I've never seen it before. Thank you for the video, it was really breath-taking.. The situation is awful and unbelievably terrifying. While western world put the whole color palette to choose your emoji's skin tone from, the real problems are ignored.
The situation presented in the video is of course Arfica's problem but if other nations weren't export those waste there (as the low cost 'recycle' way), they wouldn't have to even consider to import it. They are poor and looking for the profit, so they look forward to profit however they can even if it could pollute everything surrounding them.

2. I think so. We are a cheap workforce of the western Europe. Maybe it’s not the same scale like China/India/Vietnam are for the world, but still on a relatively small scale we are a cheap workforce. And the further to the east, the bigger the ‘problem’ is, if we consider it as a problem of course.

3. I’m not an economist so I have no idea, but it was always like that and it’s probably some economic model that rule the whole thing. Less developed countries could make prices higher but then they would be left and replaced with those countries that don’t do that.
Ewelina said…
1. Of course, many people use this form of "recycling" in their homes.
2. Corporations use everyone on whom they can earn. Let's meet - corporations are the biggest crap!
3. Honestly, watching what's happening in the world, I don't think about the solution.
Of course, more developed countries could help but they just do not pay.
I agree with you, we must do something if we want to save out planet.
Anna Koca said…
1. Have you heard about this type of "recycling" as in the video?
I have heard about it but the video itself shows a whole new perspective to it.

2. Do you think that corporations are using low earnings in Eastern Europe?
Yes, of course, and it is no secret that they're ashamed of. That's just market - if we were not underpaid, we could never grow to be even-paid, with wages comparable to Western Europe.

3. Do you see any solution to the problem of using less-developed countries?
I think it should be more government-dictated. As for now, foreign capital is the strongest force in the world and it can decide life or death of a region and it's people.
1. Have you heard about this type of "recycling" as in the video?

I have heard about it, but I wasn’t aware how it really looks. It’s terrible.

2. Do you think that corporations are using low earnings in Eastern Europe?

Oh I’m sure they do. These corporations have one goal, maximize profits, why would they pay more in those countries, if there are people willing to work for less.
3. Do you see any solution to the problem of using less-developed countries?

Honestly I can’t see any. What can we do? Ban companies to pay small minimal wages in developing countries? Even if it was possible, this companies would just move their business to another country, hundreds of people would loose their job and the problem would persist but in another place.
I was in Africa, and indeed such a problem exists. Well, for that matter, the government of the country should provide people with the proper equipment and build plants for recycling. Now it looks like a garbage heap. All garbage is being brought there. Every country must have a recycling plant inside. All garbage remains in the country and is completely recycled. I see that less developed countries use for their own purposes. It can not be. It is inhuman! Please recycle your garbage properly!
1. Oh my god. I have never heard about this type of "recycling" as in the video. I am really shocked that it exists.

2. Oh hell, corporations are using low earnings NOT ONLY in Eastern Europe but also around the world. I am convinced that it certainly is. This is how corporation works - less cost, maximize profits. Simple business.

3. It is really hard to answer that question, because I am not an economist, so I only can suspect. There are always solutions for different problems, so surely the solutions exists to the problem of using less-developed countries, but probable but we are not aware of the solution.
First of all, we need to be vert careful with materials and resources of our planet. We need to make sure we do not create a lot of waste, and these should be our priorities, not the artificially created trends for new things and devices. Our planet's future is critical.
1. Yes and this is quite cyberpunk dystopia you can imagine. I can't even think of living in such a hellhole
2. Of course and it's nothing new. It was always exploited to reduce costs of business. I don't think it will ever change for better.
3. Honestly, the only solution is to develop those countries. As long as they are poor, they will live in terrible conditions. Sending them packages with food and etc will only help in short term and won't erase bad living conditions.
Peter Clemenza said…
1. Have you heard about this type of "recycling" as in the video?
Yeah, its very toxic and dreadful enviorment

2. Do you think that corporations are using low earnings in Eastern Europe?
Yes they do, just sumarize everything. they pay you in zloty, and they sell in euro, its like 4,3x less to spend!

3. Do you see any solution to the problem of using less-developed countries?
they have to be well-developed? im not a nobel prize winner to give solutions.

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