Consumer electronics have become an integral part of daily life and revolutionized the way we com... more Consumer electronics have become an integral part of daily life and revolutionized the way we communicate, retrieve information, and entertain ourselves. Between cell phones, computers, televisions, iPads, and e-Readers, it is estimated that the average person in the United States (U.S.) uses 24 electronic products (CEA, 2008). Rapid technological advancements and growth in the electronics industry have led to a constant stream of new products and a resulting decrease in the life span of electronics. Globally, more than 50 million tons of e-waste were discarded in 2009 and 72 million tons are expected to be disposed in 2014 (Ping Jiang et al.). Europeans produce approximately 20 kilograms of e-waste/person/year 1 , while U.S. residents produce about 7 kilograms of e-waste/person/year 2 . This discrepancy may be attributed to the varying definitions of e-waste; in the U.S. electronic waste generally consists of information technology (IT) and telecommunications equipment, monitors and televisions, whereas in Europe it also includes large household appliances, cooling and freezing appliances, and medical devices. E-waste contains precious and special metals, including gold, silver, palladium and platinum, as well as potentially toxic substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium. Therefore, responsible end-of-life management of e-waste is imperative in order to recover valuable components and properly manage hazardous and toxic components. End-of-life management of e-waste includes reuse of functional electronics, refurbishment and repair of electronics, recovery of electronic components, recycling e-waste, and disposal. Reuse, refurbishment or repair of electronic products is most desirable since this option increases the life span of the electronic product and higher resource efficiency. Recycling of electronics allows for precious and special metals to be recovered, reduces the environmental impact associated with electronic manufacturing from raw materials, and ensures that hazardous and toxic substances are handled 1 Huisman, J. UNU -ISP SCYCLE, STEP ADDRESS Worldwide EEE and WEEE estimates, update 31-01-2011, Bonn Germany. 2 According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 2.44 million short tons of e-waste was generated in 2010 (source: http://www.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/materials/ecycling/docs/fullbaselinereport2011.pdf). By dividing the total e-waste generated by the 2010 U.S. population (308,745,538), the total amount of e-waste generated per person per year can be calculated. It should be noted that there are significant shortcomings in data collection and methodology surrounding e-waste, and e-waste generation and recycling statistics vary significantly between sources. i properly. Although there are clear benefits to recycling e-waste, the recycling rate of e-waste is relatively low, due to lack of recycling and regulatory infrastructure. The global rate of e-waste recycling has been estimated at about 13% in 2009 (Jiang et al.), while the estimates of recycling in the U.S. range from 13.6% 3 to 26.6% 4 . Based on the estimated U.S. generation of ewaste in 2010 of 2.44 million short tons (EPA; 1 ton=1.1 short ton) and the above range of recycling rates, 332,000 to 649,000 short tons of e-waste were recycled in the U.S. in 2010. Currently, the main driver for the recycling of e-waste is the pressure of regulatory factors. Lack of national regulation has been shown to significantly hinder recycling rates in other nations (Solving the E-waste Problem (StEP), 2009). Currently, there is no U.S. federal mandate to recycle electronic waste but twenty five states have enacted legislation requiring statewide ewaste recycling. States with the highest per capital collection volumes of e-waste are Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington, at 6.37, 6.31, and 5.92 pounds (1 lb=0.45 kg) per person, respectively (Electronics TakeBack Coalition). Key lessons learned from the e-waste collection and recycling programs within these States include: (a) high collection volumes are seen when laws make the collection convenient, or when they establish collection goals; (b) states with high collection volumes have laws covering collection costs, encouraging a variety of collector types, including government, private and non-profit; and (c) landfill bans boost recycling levels.
Consumer electronics have become an integral part of daily life and revolutionized the way we com... more Consumer electronics have become an integral part of daily life and revolutionized the way we communicate, retrieve information, and entertain ourselves. Between cell phones, computers, televisions, iPads, and e-Readers, it is estimated that the average person in the United States (U.S.) uses 24 electronic products (CEA, 2008). Rapid technological advancements and growth in the electronics industry have led to a constant stream of new products and a resulting decrease in the life span of electronics. Globally, more than 50 million tons of e-waste were discarded in 2009 and 72 million tons are expected to be disposed in 2014 (Ping Jiang et al.). Europeans produce approximately 20 kilograms of e-waste/person/year 1 , while U.S. residents produce about 7 kilograms of e-waste/person/year 2 . This discrepancy may be attributed to the varying definitions of e-waste; in the U.S. electronic waste generally consists of information technology (IT) and telecommunications equipment, monitors and televisions, whereas in Europe it also includes large household appliances, cooling and freezing appliances, and medical devices. E-waste contains precious and special metals, including gold, silver, palladium and platinum, as well as potentially toxic substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium. Therefore, responsible end-of-life management of e-waste is imperative in order to recover valuable components and properly manage hazardous and toxic components. End-of-life management of e-waste includes reuse of functional electronics, refurbishment and repair of electronics, recovery of electronic components, recycling e-waste, and disposal. Reuse, refurbishment or repair of electronic products is most desirable since this option increases the life span of the electronic product and higher resource efficiency. Recycling of electronics allows for precious and special metals to be recovered, reduces the environmental impact associated with electronic manufacturing from raw materials, and ensures that hazardous and toxic substances are handled 1 Huisman, J. UNU -ISP SCYCLE, STEP ADDRESS Worldwide EEE and WEEE estimates, update 31-01-2011, Bonn Germany. 2 According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 2.44 million short tons of e-waste was generated in 2010 (source: http://www.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/materials/ecycling/docs/fullbaselinereport2011.pdf). By dividing the total e-waste generated by the 2010 U.S. population (308,745,538), the total amount of e-waste generated per person per year can be calculated. It should be noted that there are significant shortcomings in data collection and methodology surrounding e-waste, and e-waste generation and recycling statistics vary significantly between sources. i properly. Although there are clear benefits to recycling e-waste, the recycling rate of e-waste is relatively low, due to lack of recycling and regulatory infrastructure. The global rate of e-waste recycling has been estimated at about 13% in 2009 (Jiang et al.), while the estimates of recycling in the U.S. range from 13.6% 3 to 26.6% 4 . Based on the estimated U.S. generation of ewaste in 2010 of 2.44 million short tons (EPA; 1 ton=1.1 short ton) and the above range of recycling rates, 332,000 to 649,000 short tons of e-waste were recycled in the U.S. in 2010. Currently, the main driver for the recycling of e-waste is the pressure of regulatory factors. Lack of national regulation has been shown to significantly hinder recycling rates in other nations (Solving the E-waste Problem (StEP), 2009). Currently, there is no U.S. federal mandate to recycle electronic waste but twenty five states have enacted legislation requiring statewide ewaste recycling. States with the highest per capital collection volumes of e-waste are Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington, at 6.37, 6.31, and 5.92 pounds (1 lb=0.45 kg) per person, respectively (Electronics TakeBack Coalition). Key lessons learned from the e-waste collection and recycling programs within these States include: (a) high collection volumes are seen when laws make the collection convenient, or when they establish collection goals; (b) states with high collection volumes have laws covering collection costs, encouraging a variety of collector types, including government, private and non-profit; and (c) landfill bans boost recycling levels.
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