Electronic Waste

Electronic waste (or E-waste.) isn’t just waste – it contains some very toxic substances, such as mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, beryllium and brominated flame retardants. When the latter are burned at low temperatures, they create additional toxins, such as halogenated dioxins and furans –some of the most toxic substances known to humankind.

The toxic materials in electronics can cause cancer, reproductive disorders, endocrine disruption, and many other health problems if this waste stream is not properly managed. Many of the toxic constituents are elements, which means they never disappear, even though they may change form.

Other toxic chemicals in electronics do not break down over time, instead accumulating in the food chain and biosphere. Not only do these toxins presente risks to communities and the global ecosystem, but also to electronics recycling workers around the world.

Unfortunately, only a small percentage of e-waste is recycled. Even when we take it to a recycling center, if available, there is no guarantee that it is actually recycled – not in the way most of us think of that term. A small percentage of e- waste is estimated to be sent to recyclers. In the U.S., this is as little as 11-14%. The remainder is most often dumped or burned, either in formal landfills and incinerators, or informally dumped or burned. These inappropriate disposal methods for electronic waste fail to reclaim valuable materials or manage the toxic materialssafely. In effect, our soil, water, and air are easily contaminated.

An estimated 70-80% of the e-waste that is given to recyclers is exported to countries with developing economies, in effect externalizing the real costs of managing hazardous waste and products. Once there, primitive technologies such as open air burning and riverside acid baths are used to extract a few materials. The rest of the toxic materials are usually dumped.

Unlike other countries in the world, the U.S. sends a significant portion of its hazardous e-waste to U.S. prisons to be processed in less-regulated environments without the worker protections and rights afforded in the private sector. , such operations amount to government subsidies, undermining the development of responsible privatesector recycling infrastructure and distorting the economics of recycling.

(http://www.e-stewards.org/the-e-waste-crisis/)