What is it that’s hazardous about electronics?
Electronic wastes contain numerous toxic substances, including lead, mercury, cadmium, copper, lithium and brominated flame retardants. These materials can be released to the environment as leachate from landfills or as air emissions from waste-to-energy facilities, posing a threat to human health and the environment.

Why is improper disposal such a problem?
Old televisions and computers fill warehouses and landfills and can leak toxic wastes into the environment if not properly handled. Unused electronics, or e-waste, is among the fastest growing waste streams due to growing sales and rapid obsole- scence of these products. An estimated 20 million personal computers became obso- lete in the U.S. in 1998 and approximately 61 million personal computers became obsolete in 2004.

What’s the problem with mercury?
Mercury has been found to be a very toxic material, and especially dangerous to pregnant women and young children. When mercury gets into the environment, it builds up in fish making them dangerous to eat.

Are they safe to use?
The purpose of some of the lead components is to protect the user from radiation, so lead actually makes electronics safer to use. But these materials are not safe if they are released into the environment, such as when the television or com- puter is crushed or broken.
Local Recycling Centers in your area:

   Citrus

   Hardee

   Highlands

   Hillsborough

   Hernando

   Manatee

   Pasco

   Pinellas

   Polk

   Sarasota



The impact of this growing waste stream can decrease if reusable and valuable components are properly recycled and recovered.

Action Plan
To retain the most value from a used system, follow the hierarchy of reuse, repair, recycle:

Reuse computers or component parts within your family or company. Upgrade systems to prolong life by installing more memory or other components.

Donate working computers to schools, nonprofits, or sell them to a third-party reseller.

Give working and non-working televisions and computers to a recycler.

Purchase electronic products with increased recyclability, such as labels on the plastic parts, or equipment that is designed for easy disassembly.

http://www.nrc-recycle.org/partners.aspx
Listing of the National Recycling Coalition partners that include major corporations.
http://www.sustainablepackaging.org/
Listing of organizations belonging to the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, they strive for creating packaging based on renewable resources and can be easily recycled.

 




© 2008 Florida West Coast Public Broadcasting, Inc.