ElectronicWaste

Addressingthefuture
Today

By:AhmedShah&Tanveer Shaikh
EEP142Spring2008
 WhatisElectronicWaste?
ElectronicWaste,alsorecognizedas
EWaste,isacombinationofusedor
unwantedelectronicproductsthat
haveexceededtheirshelflife.
Computerequipment,monitors/TVs,
cellphones,batteries,stereos,etc.
arepopularexamplesofitemsthat
containharmfultoxiccomponents
thatneedtoberecycledproperly.
Electronicwasteaccountsfor2
percent ofAmerica'strashinlandfills
but70 percent ofitstoxicgarbage.In
2003alone,3 milliontonsofewaste
weregeneratedintheUnited
States.
 HowisEWastegenerated?
Manufacturesneedtousecertainchemicals,elements,andcompoundsto
synthesizeafinalconsumerproduct.
YearsofR&D,multipleproductgenerations,andconsumerswillingnessto
upgrade,createsaconstantsupplyofthistypeofwaste.
Itemsthatcontainnumerouselectricalcomponents,generatethelargestamount
ofewaste.(i.e.Computers)
 ToxinsinEwaste
Toxinsinewaste includepolyvinylchloride
(PVCplastics),copper,lead,mercury,arsenic(in
oldermodels),cadmium,manganese,cobalt,
gold,andiron.
Between1994and2003,disposalofPCs
resultedin718,000tonsoflead,287tonsof
mercury,and1,363tonsofcadmiumbeing
placedinlandfills.
Mercury,chromium,lead,and brominated
flameretardantsarelikelytocausethemost
adversehealtheffectsinhumans.
 Sowhatsthebigdeal?
Theissueatlargeisthatbecauseofthetoxicnatureof
electroniccomponents,ourlandfillsarebecomingpolluted
andthesetoxinsareseepingintounderwaterreservoirs.
Thispresentsanenvironmentalhazardforourhabitatand
ecosystem.
IntheUnitedStatesandEurope,Ewaste,atlarge,is
regulated,howevermanyothercountrieshaveless
stringentregulations.
Economicallyspeaking,alotofcountries,insteadof
investingmoneytodevelopaprocesstorecyclethiswaste,
shipitouttothirdworldcountries.Initiallythisseemedlike
thelogicalmove,untilpublicawarenessincreasedin
regardstothesituation.
 Oneman'strashisanotherman's
treasure
Thefactofthematteris
that,Ewastecontains
numerousmetalsand
materialsthatcanbe
processedintoraw
reusableresources.
Lead,tin,copper,silver,
goldarefewofthemetals
thatcanberecovered
fromEwaste.
Alotoforganizations
collectEwasteandatthe
propercenter,recyclethe
componentsintoraw
materials.
 TheEnvironmentalConcern
EuropeanandAmericancompaniessincethe1980s
havebeendisposingtheirelectronicwastebyshipping
themtoothercountriessuchasChinaandIndia.
Initiallythisseemedlikeaneasysolutiontothe
growingwaste probleminourowndomesticland
fills.However,thiswasnotthecase.
Environmentalists,uponfurtherinvestigation,learned
thatthesecountrieswereimproperlyhandlinge
waste.Theywereprocessingcomponentsinvery
crude,inhumane,anddestructiveways.
 ImproperrecyclingofEwaste
AmaninIndiahandlingaCRT AChinesegirlplaying Pleaseclickon
monitortube. inelectricalrefuse. thevideobelow.
 KindofShocking?
Yes,howeverdontworry,therearemanythings
underwaytoprevent,circumvent,anddownsizethe
growingmarketofillegal ewastehandling.
TheUnitedStatesofAmericahastakeninitiative
throughstrictenvironmentalguidelinesonpropere
wastemanagement.Nolongeriswastebeingdumped
overseasinothercountries,itisnowbeingprocessed
domesticallythroughprofitandnonprofit
organizations.
Othercountries,suchasSwitzerland,utilizinga
competitivebusinessmodel,havedevelopedtheir
ownefficientsystemforrecycling.
 NoEWasteRecycling
Isaprivatefamily
owned,business
foundedinSan
Leandro,CA.
Theydealwithall
typesofewaste,
butfocuslargely
CRTmonitors.
 BusinessModel
Followaloosebusinessmodel.
Lotsofcompetition,morethan500collectorsinstateofCalifornia,more
than50recyclersinthestate.
Iftheycantserveacustomerrecyclingewaste,theyreferthemtoa
reputablecompetitorwhocandisposeofthewasteproperly.
ProvidetherecyclingserviceforFree,toincreaseconsumerawareness
andtoensurewasteisnotthrownawayinthegarbage.
MustbearesidentofthestateofCalifornia
MostoftheirrevenueisgeneratedfromtherecyclingofCRTmonitors,
becausethestateofCaliforniaoffersasubsidyforeachpoundofglass
recycled,theyreceiveadditionalrevenuefromthegovernment.
Wastethatcannotbeprocessed,isshippedandsoldtoarespective
recyclerwhowilldisposeofthematerialsproperly.
Aworkforceof27employees,handletheeverydayoperationsofthe
company.
 SwissewasteCompetence
Arecyclingsystemthatwasbuiltoverthelast
twodecadesbasedonprivate/industry
initiativesandnowcoverstheentirerangeof
electricalandelectronicconsumerproducts.
TheydevelopedtheEwasteWheelofLife,
breakingdowntherecyclingprocessintoa
moreefficientandconsumerfriendlysystem.
EwasteWheelofLife
 WheelofLife
BuynewItems isthe1st stageinthewheel.Consumers
gooutandpurchaseelectronicdevices.
The2nd stageinthis"wheeloflife"isreturningendoflife
appliancesorWasteElectricalandElectronicEquipment
(WEEE).ConsumersarenotallowedtodisposeofWEEE
throughotherthandedicatedcollectionpoints.Feesmight
beapplicableforcertainwastes.
The3rd phaseinvolvesDetoxification theremovalof
criticalcomponentsfromtheewasteinordertoavoid
dilutionofand/orcontaminationwithtoxicsubstances.
Thisworkrequiresmuchmanuallaborandthusis
unprofitableconsideringSwisswages.Mostofthecosts
andoftenthismanualprocessesareoutsourcedbythe
largerecyclerstonearbysocialinstitutions.
 EwasteWheelofLife (cont.)
The4th stageinvolvestheshreddingoflikematerialsso
theycanbepreparedforrefinement.
The5th andfinalstage,isrefinement,whereMostofthe
fractionsneedtoberefinedorconditionedinorderto
besoldassecondaryrawmaterialsortobedisposedof
inafinaldisposalsite,respectively.Manyrefining
processestakeplaceoutsideSwitzerland,entailing
greatertransportdistances.
Duetoeconomiesofscale,specializationanddivisionof
laborsuchlargeinstallationsaren'tneededinevery
country.Forexample,therefineryofUmicore in
Belgiumismadeupoftwomainprocesses:Theprecious
metaloperationsandthebasemetaloperations.
 Thefutureandmoretocome
Ewasteisagrowingenvironmentalconcern.Rightnowtherearestrict
wasteguidelinesenactedbycertaincountries,howeverweasahumane
societyneedtoaddressthisissueglobally.
TheshipmentofEwastetoforeigncountriesneedstobeproperly
regulated.
Corporationsneedtotakegreaterinitiativesinrecyclingproductsthat
exceedtheirshelflife.Sonyallowsconsumerstoreturnusedproductsfor
recycling,howeverothercompaniesneedtofollowinSonysexample.
Technologyisadvancingeverydayandsolutionsinthemanufacturingof
electronicscontinuestoimprove.astheygeneratelessandlesswaste.
Intermsofsustainability,thereareonlyafinitenumberofresources
availabletous,andrecyclingewastehelpsconservealotofthem.
Profitisnottobetakenforgrantedinthisindustry,becauseessentially
therecyclersobtaintheewasteforfree,orchargeapremiumprocessing
fee.