E-Waste
From Green Wiki
There's no question that electronics are both useful and fun, and are an indespensible part of many of our lives. However, nearly 2 millon tons of electronics wind up in landfills in the United States alone every year, and about 50 million tons worldwide.
Less than 20% of e-waste is currently recycled. And even electronics that are recycled still pose a risk: many recyclers sell e-waste to brokers who ship it to the developing world where environmental enforcement is weak and where cheap labor pick through mountains of electronics waste to melt it down for salable materials.
E-waste has a serious impact on both human health and the environment due to the heavy metals and substances commonly contained in electronics. These materials include:
- Lead can cause permanent brain damage, reproductive and developmental problems, and cancer. It is used in glass in TV and PC cathode ray tubes as well as solder and interconnects; older CRTs typically contain on average 4 lbs of lead (sometimes as much as 7 lbs in older CRTs), while newer CRTs contain closer to 2 lbs of lead.
- Mercury is a neurotoxin, and, like lead can cause permanent brain damage, reproductive and developmental problems, and cancer. It is used in bulbs to light flat panel computer monitors and notebooks.
- Cadmium is a known carcinogen that can also cause kidney and liver damage. It was widely used in ni-cad rechargeable batteries for laptops and other portables. Newer batteries (nickel-metal hydride and lithium ion) do not contain cadmium.
- Brominated and chlorinated fire retardants have been found in increasing levels in humans and in fish. They are released into the environment through use and disposal (such as incineration), and do not break down over time. They do, however, accumulate in the body over time and include such health effects as cancer, birth defects, autism, hyperactivity, learning disorders and reproductive and neurological problems. These materials are widely used in plastic cases and cables for fire retardancy.
For How To Recycle E-Waste see Recycling and Donating Old Electronics
