WHAT IS E-WASTE?
E-Waste: (def) electronic products nearing the end of their "useful life."
BACKGROUND
Computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are common electronic products. Many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled. As our technology has gotten better, computers, laptops, and other devices are becoming "obsolete" much quicker. Unfortunately, electronic discards is one of the fastest growing segments of our nation's waste stream.
RESEARCH
Keeping e-waste out of landfills will prevent toxic chemicals from entering our ecosystem.
4.6 million tons of e-waste ended up in US landfills in 2000.
Electronics account for 1% of the content of landfills by volume, but contribute up to 70% of the toxins found in landfills.
While incineration is an option, the process releases heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury into the air.
GLOBAL IMPACT
50-80 percent of the waste collected for recycling is being exported in in asia. This e-waste is then “harvested” for its "useful" parts. For example, a typical cell phone contains 19 percent copper and eight percent iron. In Guiyu, China, thousands of people earn a living by "harvesting" copper from e-waste. Sediment samples taken near the village's river show levels of dangerous metals like tin and lead at tens or hundreds of times the EPA threshold. While "harvesting" is keeping e-waste our of landfills, it is still a toxic process.
HOW ARE MONITORS "RECYCLED?"
Monitors are handed over to a separate demanufacturing line, where workers remove the plastic housings, metal supports,
and circuit boards. The cathode ray tube (CRT) itself is a funnel-shaped, leaded glass tube with a metal frame inside. The
worker separates the funnel from the front panel glass. The CRT is then crushed, and the leaded glass and metal are separated. The glass is screened, processed, and inspected for contaminants. Much of it can be sold to CRT manufacturers for
use in new CRT glass. The metal is sold for its scrap value.
(cited from the EPA)
CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY
This is a new problem. There is nothing currently in place to deal with this problem.
LINKS:
MAKE OUR MAC'S GREEN !
http://www.greenpeace.org/apple/?MM_URL=Apple150ilovebanner
PER SCHOLAS - a not for profit that brings computers to low-income children and families at the lowest possible cost, trains community residents to gain employment as computer technicians and provides environmentally responsible recycling of end-of-life computer equipment.
http://www.perscholas.org/
LOWER EAST SIDE ECOLOGY CENTER - Hosts electronic recycling events
http://www.lesecologycenter.org/les_frames.html
GREENPEACE - Where does ewaste end up?
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics/electronics/where-does-e-waste-end-up
EPA - Waste reDuction Guides
http://www.epa.gov/wastewise/wrr/updates.htm
EPA - Electronics reUse and reCycling
http://www.epa.gov/wastewise/pubs/wwupda14.pdf
CARNEGIE MELLON - Green Design Initiative
http://www.ce.cmu.edu/GreenDesign/index.html
EWASTE GUIDE
http://www.ewaste.ch/
HOW CERTAIN COMPANIES ARE MAKING PROGRESS
http://www.eia.org/download/eic/21/
SVTC COMPUTER REPORT CARD:
http://svtc.etoxics.org/site/PageServer?pagename=svtc_computer_report_card
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