 Understand what Electronic Waste (E-Waste) Means
 Identify Hazards of Improper E-Waste Disposal
 Know the avenues for Disposing E-Waste
 Identify Benefits of Recycling E-Waste
 Implement Proper E-Waste Disposal

•Any used or obsolete electric device found in offices or homes.
Source: Contra costa County, (n.d)
Contra costa County California. (n.d). E-waste Image. Retrieved January 18, 2013 from http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/depart/cd/recycle/options/e-waste.htm

 29.9 million desktop computers and 12 million laptops were discarded in 2007 according to the
Environmental Protection Agency
 Of this figure, the United States generated some 3.01
million tons of e-waste that year, and only 410,000 tons(13.6%) of this amount were recycled
(Cannavina, 2010).
Cannavina, A. (2010). Pollutions and Poisons and Hazards, Oh My! Disposing of old
Technology.
GP Solo.
(27)8:32-33

In 2009:
 438 million new consumer electronics were sold;
 5 million tons of electronics were in storage;
 2.37 million tons of electronics were ready for end-oflife management; and
 25% of these tons were collected for recycling
( U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2012).
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2012). Statistics on the Management of Used and
End-of-Life Electronics.
Retrieved January 16, 2013 from http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/ecycling/manage.htm

Hospital
•PC
•Monitors
•ECG Device
•Microscope
•Incubator e.t.c
Government
•PC
•CPU
•Fax Machine
•Xerox Machine
•Scanner e.t.c
Private Sectors (e.g.
Manufacturers, Restaurants )
•PC
•Boiler
•Mixer
•Signal Generator e.t.c
Home: Microwave, Television, Radio, Fan, Cell Phones e.t.c

Name
Lead
Arsenic
Use
Metal joining, Spray
Painting, Foundry work,
Battery component e.t.c
Mercury Lightening components for flat screen display units; Switches and relays; Battery
Components
Doping Agents
Location
Cathode ray tubes (CRT),
Batteries, PVC
Cables, Paints
Batteries,
Housing &
Medical
Equipment
Transistors
Effects on Humans
Renal Toxicity, Anemia,
Colic, Insomnia,
Seizures & coma in children
Renal Toxicity, Muscle tumors, Mental retardation, Cerebral palsy
Cancer of skin, lungs, liver

Name
Toner
Polychlorinated
Biphenyls (PCBs)
Use
Printing
Insulating fluids,
Flame retardant,
Transformer oils
Location
Printers
PVC & polymer,
Paints, Printing inks, Electrical transformers & capacitors
Effects on Humans
Respiratory tract irritation
Suppression of immune system;
Damage to the liver, nervous and reproductive systems
(Shen, Huang, Wang, Qiao, Tang et al., 2008)
Shen, C., Huang, S., Wang, A., Qiao, M., Tang, X., Yu,C. . . . . Chen, Y. (2008). Identification of ah receptor agonists in soil of E-waste recycling sites from Taizhou area in China.
Environmental Science and Technology.
(42)1: 49 - 55

Landfills
Burying of waste in the ground and covering with soil
Source: FedCenter.gov, (2010)
FedCenter.gov.
(2010).
Asbestos Landfills.
Retrieved January 14, 2013 from http://www.fedcenter.gov/assistance/facilitytour/landfills/asbestos/

Incineration
Conversion of waste to carbon-dioxide, water vapor & ash via burning
Source: European Commission, (2012)
European Commission. (2012). The Waste Incineration Directive. Retrieved January 17, 2013 from http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/pollutants/stationary/wid/legislation.htm

Recycling and Reuse
“separation and collection of materials for processing and remanufacturing into new products, and the use of the products to complete the cycle”
(Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection, 2009).
Mendham.org , (2009).
Mendham.org. (2009). Department of Public Works Electronics (E-waste). Retrieved January 18, 2013 from http://www.mendhamnj.org/Cit-e-Access/webpage.cfm?TID=94&TPID=11753
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. (2009). Recycling Works! Retrieved January 18, 2013 from http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/Recycle/Recywrks/recywrks1.htm

 Asset Recovery
 Reduction of need for Landfills
 Reduction of Junks and Clutters
 Resale and Reuse
 Creation of Jobs
(K. Novicky, personal communication, January 14, 2013)

“One Man’s Junk is Another Man’s Treasure” (Anon.)
Google images, (2013)
Google. Com. (2013). Google images. Retrieved January 18, 2013 from www.google.com/images

Cannavina, A.
(2010).
Pollutions and Poisons and Hazards, Oh My!
Disposing of old
Technology. GP Solo. (27)8:32-33
Contra costa County California.
(n.d).
E-waste Image.
Retrieved January 18, 2013 from http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/depart/cd/recycle/options/e-waste.htm
European Commission. (2012). The Waste Incineration Directive. Retrieved January 17, 2013 from http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/pollutants/stationary/wid/legislation.htm
FedCenter.gov.
(2010).
Asbestos Landfills.
Retrieved January 14, 2013 from http://www.fedcenter.gov/assistance/facilitytour/landfills/asbestos
Google. Com. (2013). Google images. Retrieved January 18, 2013 from www.google.com/images
Mendham.org. (2009). Department of Public Works Electronics (E-waste). Retrieved January 18, 2013 from http://www.mendhamnj.org/Cit-e-Access/webpage.cfm?TID=94&TPID=11753

Shen, C., Huang, S., Wang, A., Qiao, M., Tang, X., Yu,C. . . . . Chen, Y. (2008). Identification of ah receptor agonists in soil of E-waste recycling sites from Taizhou area in China.
Environmental Science and Technology. (42)1: 49 - 55
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. (2009). Recycling Works! Retrieved January 18,
2013 from http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/Recycle/Recywrks/recywrks1.htm
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2012). Statistics on the Management of Used and End-of-Life
Electronics.
Retrieved January 16, 2013 from http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/ecycling/manage.htm

Chandler, J. (1997). Municipal solid waste incinerator residues. 466, Elsevier, Amsterdam,
NL.
Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives/Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance (no date).
Retrieved from http://www.no-burn.org/about
Hattemer-Frey, H. (1991). Health Effects of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration. CRC Press.
Danvers, MA.
Jeng-Chung, C., Wei-Hsin, C., Ni-Bin, C., Eric, D., & Cheng-Hsien, , T. (2005). Interactive analysis of waste recycling and energy recovery program in a small-scale incinerator.
Journal of The Air & Waste Management Association, 55(9), 1356-1366.
National Research Council. (2000). "Regulation Related to Waste Incineration." Waste
Incineration and Public Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

U.S Environmental Protection Agency. (2012). Wastes - Resource Conservation - Common
Wastes & Materials – eCycling.
Retrieved January 16, 2013 from http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ecycling/index.htm