E-liminating e-waste.

• Author: Schultz, Jennifer
• Position: TRENDS & TRANSITIONS

Use of consumer electronics has skyrocketed in recent years, with the typical American household now plugged in to about 24 different devices. Although electronics have revolutionized how we communicate, educate and entertain ourselves, the $206 billion-a-year U.S. industry has also created a rising stream of aging equipment in need of appropriate disposal.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, almost 2.4 million tons of computers, cell phones, printers and other electronic devices were discarded in 2009, up more than 120 percent since 1999. Twenty-five percent of the equipment was recycled, and the rest ended up in landfills and incinerators.

Used electronics make up a relatively small percentage of the overall U.S. waste stream, but their disposal is an environmental and public health concern. Many devices contain metals and chemicals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, copper, nickel, gold, silver and zinc. If disposed of improperly, these substances can contaminate soil, water and air, creating potential health hazards for humans and animals.

Electronics manufacturing also uses many resources. For example, it takes at least 530 pounds of fossil fuels, 48 pounds of chemicals and 1.5 tons of water to make a desktop computer. Cell phones contain copper...