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E-Scrap a Mounting Problem … With Solutions
By
Carol
Spence
LEXINGTON, Ky., (Nov. 1, 2006) – It wasn’t that long ago when
the only technical gadgets a typical family had were a
television set, a stereo and a phone. And they held on to those
few things for years and years. Not anymore. Now add to the list
multiple televisions, a cell
 phone
for everyone in the house, an MP3 player or two, desktop
computers, laptop computers, video games, DVD players, batteries
of every shape and size…. The list goes on and on. And when the
products break or get replaced with newer versions, where does
it all end up? With a little foresight and planning, the answer
doesn’t have to be the local landfill.
Ashley Osborne, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension
associate for environmental and natural resource issues, is a
proponent of finding alternative solutions to the mounting
problem of the 40,000 to 80,000 tons of electronics that could
potentially be disposed of yearly in Kentucky. It’s not merely
the amount of e-scrap, as it is called, that can cause a serious
problem by overloading local landfills. The hazardous substances
within the equipment can pose a health threat to both humans and
the environment.
“For example, the glass picture tubes found in computer monitors
and television screens contain between 5 and 8 pounds of lead,”
Osborne said. “Other hazardous materials found in electronics
include chromium, cadmium, mercury and nickel.”
Under certain conditions, these substances can dissolve and leak
into the groundwater. Once in the groundwater, they can spread
throughout an entire watershed, possibly contaminating drinking
water and getting into the food supply. All of them can present
serious health risks to people.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office, in a November 2005
report, estimated that more than 100 million computers, monitors
and televisions become obsolete each year and that the number
will continue to grow, particularly with a rise in the number of
plasma televisions replacing older technology. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s Web site indicates that
electronics make up from 1 to 4 percent of solid waste at the
municipal level and that the amount of e-scrap is growing three
times faster than other forms of solid waste.
With America Recycles Day just around the corner on Nov. 15,
making arrangements to safely dispose of discarded electronics
is an important step toward making sure the environment is safe
for future generations.
Osborne said there are a number of options available to people
who want to dispose of older or broken equipment. Her first
suggestion is to simply fix or upgrade existing electronics. In
that case, disposal is no longer an issue, because the equipment
continues to be used.
If the equipment is still in good working order, another option
is to donate it to a school, church or charitable organization
and receive a tax deduction in return. If you are unsure which
organization can make use of the equipment, Osborne said that
there are a number of Web sites that can steer you in the right
direction, one of which is
http://www.collectivegood.com. The site lists charitable
organizations that will accept mobile phones, pagers or personal
digital assistants. The e-cycling page on the EPA Web site,
http://www.epa.gov, also offers
links and suggestions for organizations that will accept used
electronic equipment donations.
If neither of these solutions is practical because of the age or
condition of the equipment, many municipalities offer local
recycling programs.
“Each county has a solid waste coordinator,” said Osborne. “That
would the person to contact to find out how to dispose of
hazardous waste and e-scrap safely in your area.”
The Web site http://www.earth911.org provides information about
local waste management regulations and area options for
recycling electronics and batteries when a user types in a zip
code. Some of those local sites will also provide the names of
organizations accepting equipment donations. A Kentucky
government Web site,
http://www.waste.ky.gov
/programs/rla,
also lists electronics recycling opportunities.
“By being a responsible citizen and reusing or recycling
electronics, you not only are reducing the amount of waste that
goes to landfills, but you also are conserving other resources
needed to manufacture new computers, televisions, and cell
phones,” Osborne said. “Also by donating old electronics you may
be helping someone who cannot afford to purchase these things
new.” |
Contact: : Ashley Osborne, 859-257-2505 |
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