The rapid and pervasive growth of the computer age has had many upsides, but as unused and discarded electronic components accumulate we have created a new issue: E-Waste.

“In particular, developing countries face a number of issues with the generation, transboundary movement and management of e-waste. It is estimated that the world generates around 20–50 million tonnes of e-waste annually, most of it from Asian countries. Improper handling of e-waste can cause harm to the environment and human health because of its toxic components. Several countries around the world are now struggling to deal with this emerging threat,” a recent government report noted.

Proper disposal of electronic components is needed, though much of e-waste can be recycled or reclaimed. In the United States, 26 states have legislation mandating electronics recycling. Laptops and cell phones contain gold and silver, as well as copper and palladium.

“There are over 320 tons of gold and greater than 7,500 tons of silver used each year to make new electronic products around the world.

As a result, there are more than $21 billion in precious metals inventoried in these devices—$16 billion worth of gold and $5 billion worth of silver, until a time when they can be recycled,” the Balance Small Business website reported.

Companies have been created to handle this issue, both for recycling and actual waste disposal. As far as electronics sellers go, BestBuy is leading the way in recycling and was an early leader in e-recycling.

One of the most critical elements in electronic components is lead. As ERI, the nation’s leading recycler of electronics and cybersecurity-focused hardware destruction company, reports “When electronics are tossed into landfills, leaching can join forces with other sources of lead contamination in soil (i.e. pesticide runoff). Such cumulative effects of lead contamination are so intense that the EPA advises the use of sandboxes for play among children (rather than regular soil) and suggests removing shoes before entering the house in order to avoid bringing in lead-ridden dust from outside”. 

Lead in e-waste can lead to blood problems, as well as kidney and nervous system damage.

The disposal has become an industry unto itself and governments have stepped in to create proper certifications needed to avoid the dumping of components in landfills and offshore. If you are looking for reputable companies to help you dispose of your electronic components try this link.

The hardest components to dispose of are screens. Whether you have an old CRT (cathode ray tubes) or an early generation LCD TV screen, disposal of these items is needed as they contain some of the worst elements. “The LCD TV is perhaps the “poster child” for how electronics are not designed with recycling in mind, because of both material selection and physical design. Most LCD TVs use mercury lamps to light the screen. An LCD TV will have typically 20 long, thin, fragile mercury lamps running from side to side, throughout the panel. Mercury is very toxic at very small amounts”. Situations like Flint, Michigan, are examples of problems from lead seeping into the local water system.

Batteries and old printers also offer serious issues for recyclers. Rechargeable batteries specifically cause problems as they contain nickel metal hydride and nickel–cadmium which are extremely hazardous materials.

The electronic age is not slowing down, so there is a major need for acceptable methods of component disposal.