Devin Hancock
ENGL 2010
Ashley Argyle
07-04-14
E-Waste Material Build-Up: What is being done?
I Introduction
E-waste (Electronic Waste) is
months discarding it, as if it means nothing?
defined as used electronics which are
Where does it go and how can we be safe
destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling,
about it? These are the things that I would
or disposal. This includes such things as
like to discuss and the questions I hope to
discarded computers, office electronic
answer; obviously we can’t keep throwing
equipment, entertainment device electronics,
our waste in piles, letting it sit and rot,
mobile phones, television sets, and
otherwise it will build until it covers us
refrigerators. Electronic waste is definitely
completely. E-waste is also a different
one of several major problems that exist in
process of recycling than the usual
our world today, and many people are
recyclables we use and throw out daily such
uninformed of what is being done to recycle
as plastic, glass, paper, etc. As was stated in
these materials. People and businesses ought
an online article written by Dian
to be aware of how this type of waste is
Schaffhauser, e-waste recycling is different
affecting us as a whole, instead of only
than normal waste in the aspect that it is
throwing the objects into the trash.
“’…Breaking something down to the
What do you know about what is done when
using an electronic device and in a short few
component level’…Recycling [electronics]
means breaking apart a piece of equipment
to recover its plastic, glass, metals, and other
elements”
(5). This is
because e-
Ready for End-of-Life Management
(million of units)
Disposed
(million of units)
Collected for Recycling
(million of units)
Rate of Collection for Recycling
(by weight)
waste
consists of
technological
equipment
and contains
harmful
In the
Management of Used and
End-Of-Life Electronics in
2009. Figure 1.1.
47.4
29.4 18
38%
27.2 22.7
Computers
4.6 17%
Televisions
elements like
last few
decades, the
development
of
141
increasingly
129
intricate
11.7
electronic
8%
Mobile Devices
devices has
grown
mercury and cadmium; these can be
incredibly. Therefore, because each
absorbed into the soil and eventually make
individual wants the next best thing, it is
their way into the local water supply, where
often seen that we toss out the old very
it is disposed and can poison possible
frequently without thought of where it goes,
consumers by seeping into the water and
which can be detrimental considering how
food. These are just some reasons why it is
much is thrown out. For a more meaningful
important to effectively dispose of these
perspective, take a look at Figure 1.1, taken
frequently thrown away ‘commodities,’ in a
from the U.S. Environmental Protection
way that keeps them useful several times
Agency’s website (Statistics); the above
over and eliminates the potential of build-up
graph is an estimation of the number of
which can have consequences for living
electronics recycled in 2009 at the end of
things and the earth we inhabit.
their life cycle. 25% of overall electronics
were collected for recycling, including such
things as cell phones, laptops, desktops,
unsafe, working electronics can be sold or
monitors, TV’s, screens, etc. Although
donated to businesses or consumers in
twenty-five percent may seem like a big
developing countries; though not reusing or
number, consider that out of the 27.2 million
recycling these materials does pose a
units disposed of in 2009 only 4.6 million
problem in the sense that there are
units were collected for recycling, in
environmental costs in transporting them as
comparison to a number of 22.6 million
well as lost opportunities for local economic
units not being recycled!
development.
II Method
1 Challenges and Opportunities in the
U.S.: Constantly Americans are buying new
E-waste is not just a problem in the
products and throwing away old ones—
United States, more than approximately 40
according to Doctor Nancey Green Leigh-million tons of e-waste is generated around
an estimated four hundred million per year
the world (Leigh, p. 1). The Basel Action
(4). The number of consumer electronics in
Network (BAN) and other organizations
the common U.S. house is increasing
have tracked how dumping of this waste can
drastically and for that increase in buying,
result in illegal and harmful consequences.
there is an increase in discarding. Leigh,
These discarded electronics pose a serious
Choi, and Hoelzel state, “The average U.S.
threat to humans and cause environmental
household owned twenty-five consumer
risk when at the end of their useful life. All
electronics in 2010, which is a 9% increase
the plastics, metals, and other hazardous
from the prior year” (Leigh, 5). Over 80% of
materials are toxic when burned, crushed,
the recyclables collected in the U.S. are
left in landfills, or comingle with other
exported; to the contrary, these materials
waste. However, not all exported e-waste is
could be kept here and used to create jobs in
from households and individuals or
order to maintain usage of the electronics by
businesses into landfills. Between 2003 and
refurbishing, reusing, and recycling them. It
2011, as many as 25 states, nearly 65% of
is known that a portion of exported waste is
the U.S. population have adopted some sort
scavenged in developing countries by rural,
of e-waste recycling law. The most common
low-income workers in a way that is unsafe
of those being the extended producer
to humans and the environment. One
responsibility or EPR, which requires that
possible way to change the world would be
original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
to develop a more sustainable e-waste
be financially responsible for the recycling
management industry and reduce
of their products; this statute was set in place
exportation which contributes to the not
to get them to better make their products so
necessarily needed recycling & exportation
that it would reduce the difficulty and costs
to developing countries.
for disassembling and managing e-waste.
III Results
Due to these few things, these states with
recycling laws have collected tens of
The Resource Conservation and
thousands of tons of e-waste.
Recovery Act (RCRA), requires that
exportation of cathode ray tubes (CRTs) be
reported to the EPA and receive authority in
order to dispose of the hazardous material;
Items containing mercury are considered
hazardous by the RCRA but the EPA does
not possess authority to prohibit the disposal
of the electronics in small amounts taken
On another note, the need for ewaste recycling has done some good for the
economy as well. As has been reported by
the International Data Corporation it is
estimated that there are approximately 600
to 1,000 companies that employ at least
30,000 workers and with their combined
efforts, generate more than 5 billion dollars
opportunity, meaning loss of employment
in revenue per year (Leigh, N. G.). This is
and also the ability to reuse and
surely something that is multi-purposed in
remanufacture items at the end of their life.
ways that are beneficial as a whole to the
There are many things in the recent decade
earth and on a smaller scale, creating
or so that have come about to protect our
employment opportunity which may grow
environment that involves recycling in the
even more in the future.
U.S.--e-wastes in particular--while also
creating jobs for Americans.
IV Conclusion
In conclusion, recycling is a fairly
new practice that has been an idea for a long
time considering how much waste we as
humans put into the world, yet has not been
acted upon until recently. Much of U.S. ewaste that is dumped is mainly exported out
of the U.S. to China or developing nations
in order to scavenge but can be potentially
harmful to them and the environment
because of compounds left in the
electronics. Another portion consists of the
effects of exporting the e-waste, which
causes the U.S. to lose economic
Works Cited
Anwesha, Anwesha, and Kunal Sinha. "Electronic Waste Management In India: A Stakeholder's
Perspective." Electronic Green Journal 1.36 (2013): 1-21. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 7 July 2014.
Johnson, Tim. "Prospectors: The Next Generation." TCE: The Chemical Engineer 874 (2014):
28-31. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 July 2014.
Leigh, Nancey Green, Taelim Choi, and Nathanael Z. Hoelzel. "New Insights Into Electronic
Waste Recycling In Metropolitan Areas." Journal Of Industrial Ecology 16.6 (2012):
940-950. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 July 2014.
Schaffhauser, Dian. "The Dirt On E-Waste." T H E Journal 36.3 (2009): 20-25. Academic
Search Premier. Web. 6 July 2014.
Statistics on the Management of Used and End-of-Life Electronics. 14 November 2012.u.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. 06 June 2014 <
http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/ecycling/manage.htm>.