E-WASTE
E-Waste... What is it? Well, it is a growing problem in America. A lot of people wonder what to do with their old computers, cell-phones, printers, etc. The main problem with throwing away electronic equipment is that is that it contains toxic compounds such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants. If our electronics keep being sent to landfills these contaminants will continue to soak into our soils and water and eventually our air will be continuously contaminated.
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The use of electronic products has grown a lot over the past two decades, this growth changes the way and the speed in which we communicate and how we get information and entertainment. Our continually growing reliance on electronics is shown by some insane numbers. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, Americans own approximately 24 electronic products per household
By the year 2010, this "e-waste" is the fastest growing waste stream in the United States. As of right now, less than twenty-five percent of electronic waste is being recycled. The government is working on this, but the main thing we can do is aim to recycle these electronic products by choosing smart recycling programs such as e-stewards which are one globally responsible program to help in recycling electronics. Some consumers may need more education on responsible electronic recycling tactics, e-peat is a great resource for comparing electronic recycling programs based on the environmental attributes they have to offer.
Hopefully we can take advantage of these programs for recycling this "E-waste" and really get a grasp on this growing problem!
Great blog. Have you considered the environmental injustice that occurs as a result of E-waste? Much of the E-waste from developed countries gets dumped in developing countries around the world. This causes land and water contamination, much of which is from leaching hazardous materials from inside the E-components. There are many articles about this topic. I have listed one that you can check out so you can see how big of a problem this is.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222081911.htm
The recycling programs will help, but it needs to be done on a much larger scale to mitigate this "new" environmental concern
E-waste really is a growing problem because most people don't know or even think that these materials are in their electronics. A way to help make people aware of what they are actually throwing away could be to advertise what E-waste is and possibly offer an incentive for unwanted or broken electronics.
ReplyDeleteA recycling program available in the next week on campus called Ytoss? (sponsored by the YMCA) collects unwanted tvs, microwaves, etc. If the item is broken, then it will be picked up by a company which deals specifically with E-waste.
I actually just researched this topic for a group project in another class. I find it most interesting that so many, if not the majority, of the American people are unaware of the dangers of E-waste. Our group was talking about how cool it would be if all the apartment complex property managers in Blacksburg provided information to Residents at move-in about E-waste, and if each complex had a drop box for such products. In a college town where there is PLENTY of E-waste, I believe that this would truly make a difference.
ReplyDeleteOne of the main problems with increasing the rate that e-waste is recycled, particularly for businesses, is that for many of these products recycling is simply not cost effective.
ReplyDeleteI toured the Montgomery Regional Solid Waste Authority's recycling complex recently, and they said they don't like to collect CFL's and batteries because they don't make any money by recycling them.
These efforts have to be subsidized to make them work, which automatically makes them less likely to succeed. The key is to find a way of making the industry profitable.