Reflecting on the Environmental Geography of My PS5 Controller
Reflecting on the Environmental Geography of My PS5 Controller
As someone
who is twenty-one and part of a gaming group where everyone uses PS5s, I have
realized that gaming controllers are more than just accessories, they are
products with environmental impacts. My family and I have gone through many
controllers over the years, and I used to toss old ones into a drawer or the
trash without thinking about where they ended up. After learning about the
materials inside them, plastics, copper wiring, lithium-ion batteries, and
rare-earth metals like cobalt and lithium I now understand how our everyday
electronics affect ecosystems, wildlife, and people around the world.
Why a PS5 Controller Matters
Environmentally
Even a
small device like a controller goes through a global life cycle involving
extraction, manufacturing, transportation, and disposal. Mining metals such as
lithium and cobalt destroys habitats and pollutes waterways. Manufacturing
often happens in countries like China, Malaysia, or Japan, where factories
release greenhouse gases and sometimes chemical waste into nearby communities.
Because controllers contain hazardous substances like mercury, cadmium,
flame-retardant chemicals, and lithium batteries, they pose risks if they are
thrown into landfills.
To
understand why these materials are considered hazardous, you can learn more
directly from the EPA:
Read it
here: Learn theBasics of Hazardous Waste | US EPA
Connections to the “Battle of the Bag”
Video
Just like
the plastic bag problem shown in Battle of the Bag, gaming controllers rely on
plastics and chemicals that last for decades. Both items seem small and
harmless, but when millions of people use and throw them away, the
environmental impacts add up.
Watch it
here: Battle of the Bag – YouTube
Global Scale: E-waste as a Worldwide Problem
Another
great article that explains this is The Future of E-waste Legislation: A Global
Challenge Demands a Global Response. It shows how countries struggle to enforce
recycling laws, regulate mining, or build safe recycling systems due to limited
resources and rising demand for electronics.
Read it
here: The Future of E-waste Legislation - EWCRA
Even with international agreements, global solutions have limitations: enforcement is
inconsistent, poorer countries receive unsafe shipments of e-waste, and the
demand for new electronics keeps growing.
At the
local scale, factories in places like Malaysia or Japan may release chemical
waste or greenhouse gases, impacting nearby communities. Local recycling
programs, strict waste regulations, and incentives for sustainable production
can help but they depend on funding, awareness, and community participation.
To
understand how electronics donation and recycling programs work, the EPA
website provides a simple explanation:
Read it
here: Learn the Basics of Hazardous Waste | US EPA
Even with
programs in place, only about 22% of global e-waste was formally collected and
recycled in 2022. This shows that while local actions help, they cannot solve
the entire problem alone.
Individual (Micro) Scale: What We Can Do
At the household level, we can make choices that reduce waste:
Repair broken controllers instead of replacing them.
·
Donate
devices
·
Buy
refurbished products.
·
Use
PlayStation’s official recycling programs.
·
Encourage
friends to recycle electronics instead of tossing them.
Learn more here: PlayStation® and the environment | What we're doing to reduce our global impact
For
broader recycling options, ERI allows you to enter your zip code to find
drop-off sites or mail-in programs:
Find
recycling options: Electronic Recycling &
IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) Services | ERI
If you
live in Wisconsin or want to see how state programs work, the DNR provides
laws, rules, and recycling locations:
Learn more
here: Responsible
unit recycling programs | | Wisconsin DNR
Encouraging
my friends to recycle their old gaming gear instead of throwing it away has
been one of the easiest ways to spread awareness. These small conversations can
inspire more sustainable habits in our group.
Critical Reflection
This topic
connects directly to our lecture on hazardous waste: electronics contain toxic
materials that can harm people and the environment if not disposed of
correctly. While global, local, and individual solutions exist, each has
limitations. Recycling programs can be confusing or inconvenient, laws may not
be enforced consistently, and many people simply do not realize how harmful
electronics can be. Calling a PS5 controller “green” does not change the fact
that the system around it is complex. Real progress requires stronger
regulations, better recycling infrastructure, corporate responsibility, and
continued education. Still, learning about this helped me see how even a small
everyday item, something as common as a gaming controller, connects my personal
choices to global environmental outcomes.
Here are
all the resources I mentioned throughout this post for easy access:
Learn the Basics of Hazardous Waste | US EPA
The Future of E-waste Legislation - EWCRA
PlayStation® and the environment | What we're doing to reduce our global impact
Responsible unit recycling programs | | Wisconsin DNR
·
·
Comments
Post a Comment