e waste

E-WASTE

Definition: E-Waste or waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) are the term used to describe old, end-of-life or discarded appliances using electricity. It includes computers, consumer electronics, fridges etc which have been disposed of by their original users. "e-waste" is used as a generic term combines all types of waste containing electrically powered components. E-Waste contains both valuable materials as well as hazardous materials which require special handling and recycling methods.

Examples: Computers, LCD/CRT screens, cooling appliances, mobile phones, etc., contain precious metals, flame retarded plastics, CFC foams and many other substances.

Electronic appliances are composed of hundreds of different materials that can be both toxic but also of high value. While bulk materials such as iron, aluminum, plastics and glass account for over 80 weight %, valuable and toxic materials are found in smaller quantities but are still of high importance. The material composition of different appliances is often similar, but the percentage of different components can vary a lot.

Problems: Electronic waste (e-waste) now makes up five percent of all municipal solid waste worldwide; nearly the same amount as all plastic packaging, but it is much more hazardous. Not only developed countries generate e-waste; Asia discards an estimated 12 million tones each year.

E-waste is now the fastest growing component of the municipal solid waste stream because people are upgrading their mobile phones, computers, televisions, audio equipment and printers more frequently than ever before. Mobile phones and computers are causing the biggest problem because they are replaced most often. In Europe e-waste is increasing at three to five percent a year, almost three times faster than the total waste stream. Developing countries are also expected to triple their e-waste production over the next five years.

E-WASTE MANAGEMENT: e-waste can also be recycled to reduce the environment hazards. For example we will take computer recycling, computers the recycling or reuse of computers. It includes both finding another use for materials and having systems dismantled in a manner that allows for the safe extraction of the constituent materials for reuse in other products. Some computer components can be reused in assembling new computer products, while others are reduced to metals that can be reused in applications as varied as construction, flatware, and jewelry. Computer recycling or electronic recycling is the method of retrieving operable parts and ingredients from unusable electronic devices.

Computer components contain valuable elements and substances suitable for reclamation, including lead, copper, and gold. They also contain many toxic substances, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), cadmium, chromium, radio active and mercury. A typical computer monitor may contain more than 6% lead by weight, much of which is in the lead glasses of the cathode ray tube (CRT). A typical 15-inch computer monitor may contain 1.5 pounds of lead, but other monitors have been estimated as having up to 8 pounds of lead.