1.2 million computers and TVs are discarded by consumers and
businesses annually.
130 million cell phones are estimated to go out of service in
2005 in the US.
18 months is the average life of a cell phone
We use millions of cell phones, printers, copiers, hand-held
games, MP3 players, PDAs, remote control units and other electronic
devices daily. That means Georgia is faced with 10s of millions of
electronic devices that break or become outdated each year.
At least 4 pounds of lead is contained in each old computer
monitor or television.
There are at least 5 toxic materials found in today's electronic
devices.
There are at least 8 serious health effects of these toxins.
When you reuse and recycle electronics devices, you save the
valuable metals and plastics that were mined or extracted to make
the device in the first place. You also reduce the amount of energy
necessary to mine new raw materials from their source. In addition,
you protect the environment by properly managing hazardous
materials, such as lead, mercury and cadmium, and ensure those
materials do not get into the environment or effect plant, animal or
human life.
In addition, reuse is a way to keep an electronic device useful.
Reuse often provides disadvantaged populations, such as low-income
families, with needed technology, creates job training opportunities
and more.
In addition to environmental benefits, reuse and recycling also
creates Georgia jobs and is good for the economy. Many organizations
reside in Georgia that refurbish, resell and/or recycle electronic
devices. Those companies hire and train workers, generate revenues
and pay taxes.
Electronic devices take a great deal of
energy and natural resources to manufacture, to use, and then to
dispose of them. The average desktop computer system requires 10
times its weight in fossil fuels and chemicals to make. In addition,
computers demand far more energy than any other home appliance,
except a furnace or boiler. As computers are getting smaller, their
environmental impact is getting greater!
When we throw away E-Waste, all the initial investment in
resources is wasted. Doesn’t it make sense to continue to use
all the energy and resources invested in an electronic device by
reusing and recycling it instead of throwing it in the trash?
When you reuse and recycle, you not only extend the life of the
device, you also save valuable natural resources, reduce water and
chemical consumption, and reduce energy use. Manufacturing one
computer and monitor uses at least 530 pounds of fossil fuels, 50
pounds of chemicals and 3,330 pounds of water . In addition, 81% of
the energy used by a computer over its lifetime is used in the
manufacture of the product, before the computer ever reaches your
home or office.
By reusing and recycling your electronics and by buying
‘greener’ electronic devices from now on, you can help
make a brighter future for Georgia!
Federal Regulations for E-Waste Management
The United States Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has established regulations surrounding the management
of electronics to increase safe recovery and recycling, and to
minimize the potential for liability. For those responsible for
managing E-Waste, the following steps are critical in minimizing
liability:
Understand the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requirements
Understand the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)
and arranger’s intent
Understand all state regulations
regarding solid and hazardous waste, as state regulations may be
more stringent and take precedence
Conduct due diligence onrecyclers
Make sure donation programs truly need the equipment
Many used CRTs are currently hazardous wastes because they meet
the toxicity characteristic under RCRA and are therefore subject to
hazardous waste regulations under RCRA Subtitle C unless the CRTs
come from a household or conditionally exempt small quantity
generator (CESQG).
CRTs
Consumers: To date, EPA has not regulated any
electronic scrap generated at the household level. Households that
dispose of CRTs are exempt from hazardous waste management
requirements under 40 CFR 261.4(b)(1). A fact sheet for residential
consumers can be found at: www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/elec_fs.pdf.
With a few exceptions for communities with stricter local rules,
homeowners in most of Georgia’s communities can legally put
computers, televisions and other electronic scrap in their trash
container, and it will be disposed of in a municipal solid waste
landfill.
Businesses/Organizations: Businesses may be
subject to more stringent requirements for E-Waste management. If
the waste comes from business or industry, the waste can be
disposed of in a municipal solid waste landfill if the generator is
a CESQG. CESQGs are non-residential generators of less than 100
kilograms (220 pounds) of hazardous waste and less than 1 kilogram
(2.2 pounds) of acutely hazardous waste in a calendar month. They
are not subject to most RCRA Subtitle C hazardous waste management
standards (40 CFR 261.5). However, their materials must be disposed
of as solid waste in an approved municipal solid waste landfill. It
is important to note that approximately seven to eight monitors
surpass the 100 kilogram weight limit for CESQGs, and that the
weight limit applies to the accumulated total of all sources of
hazardous waste generated. New
Federal CRT Rule
If a business user sends a CRT to a reuse organization/reseller
for potential reuse, the user is not a RCRA generator and thus not
subject to the Subtitle C hazardous waste standards.
An organization, industry or business generating more than 100
kilograms but less than 1,000 kilograms of hazardous waste per
month is a small quantity generator. An organization, industry, or
business generating more than 1,000 kilograms of hazardous waste or
more than 1 kilogram of acutely hazardous waste in a month is a
large quantity generator. Small and large quantity generators must
make a waste determination based on specific knowledge or
appropriate testing, and then must properly dispose of the waste
according to Subtitle C hazardous waste standards. A fact sheet for
businesses is provided on EPA’s Waste Wise website at:
www.epa.gov/wastewise/pubs/wwupda14.pdf
RCRA and how it currently applies: To determine
whether a non-residential facility with used CRTs must comply with
RCRA Subtitle C hazardous waste regulations, the generator must
first determine if the used CRTs are a solid waste (defined under
federal rule as discarded material, which is abandoned, recycled,
or considered inherently waste-like). If it is a solid waste, then
RCRA applies.
Solid waste determination: Used CRTs sent
directly to glass processors or recyclers could under some
circumstances be considered spent materials undergoing reclamation,
and could therefore be a solid waste. Then, the material must be
considered for its potential to be a hazardous waste.
Waste determination: RCRA requires generators
to make the waste determination, which requires knowledge of the
process or testing of the waste. Each state applies Subtitle C
requirements to activities. Below is some guidance as to how RCRA
rules apply to various E-Waste handlers, if the solid waste is
determined to be hazardous waste:
Collectors:
Currently a collector, whether a recycler, a hauler or a
non-profit organization that is taking in electronics, is subject
to Subtitle C requirements unless CRTs are from a household or
CESQG.
Transporters:
Currently transporters, or anyone who is transporting electronic
materials, are subject to Subtitle C requirements unless CRTs are
from a household or CESQG.
Recyclers/Reuse: Currently recyclers are
subject to Subtitle C requirements unless CRTs are from a
household or CESQG. Used CRTs undergoing repairs before resale or
redistribution are not being “reclaimed” and are
considered to be products “in use” rather than solid
waste.
Circuit boards
EPA previously determined
that used, whole circuit boards are considered scrap metal when
sent for reclamation and therefore exempt from RCRA regulation. EPA
also provided an exclusion from regulation for shredded circuit
boards being reclaimed provided the circuit boards meet certain
requirements.
State and local government can require more stringent management
practices than the federal government requires, but the State of
Georgia has consistently followed federal hazardous waste rules and
regulations for E-Waste to date.
EPA Resources
EPA Region 5 Electronics Webpage:
www.epa.gov/region5/solidwaste/electronics.htm
RCRA information on EPA’s Webpage:
www.epa.gov/epahome/cfr40.htm
RCRAOnline: www.epa.gov/rcraonline/
Recycling: Facts and Figures
A recent
study by the U.S. EPA shows that electronics make up
approximately 1 percent of the municipal solid
waste stream.
More than
3.2 million tons of electronic waste is laid to
rest in U.S. landfills each year
—
Environmental Protection Agency
The average
lifespan for a common PC manufactured in 2005 is estimated to be
two years
—
National Safety Council
Every month
approximately 100,000 pounds of CDs become
outdated, useless, or unwanted.
—
Environmental Protection Agency
Every year,
20 to 50 million metric tons of electronic
equipment waste (e-waste) are generated worldwide, which could
bring serious risks to human health and the environment. Four
million computers are discarded annually in China
alone.
—
United Nations Environmental Program
Electronics
are the fastest-growing portion of America's trash - with 250
million computers destined to become obsolete by 2005.
More than 3.2 million tons of electronic waste
is buried in U.S. landfills each year. The average cathode ray
tube inside a PC monitor contains about five pounds
of lead oxide powder embedded in the glass. An average sized
populated state has an estimated 4.2 million computers
in homes and workplaces. That is equivalent to 315,000
tons of solid waste and 26,000 tons of
toxic lead.
—
Pollution Prevention Assistance Division State of Georgia DNR
Between
1997 and 2007, nearly 500 million computers
will become obsolete - almost two computers for
each person in the United States... Televisions and video and
computer monitors use cathode ray tubes (CRTs), which have
significant amounts of lead. Printed circuit boards contain
primarily plastic and copper, and most have small amounts of
chromium, lead solder, nickel, and zinc. In addition, many
electronic products have batteries that often contain nickel,
cadmium, and other heavy metals.