The E-Waste Problem and Our Work For Solutions

• The Problem With Electronics:
• Quickly Obsolete
• Hard to Recycle
  • Not designed for recycling
  • Toxics in Electronics
• Discards Badly Managed
  • E-waste in landfills
  • Global e-waste dumping
  • Prison recycling
• Our Work For Solutions:
• Producer Takeback
  • You make it, you take it back
  • Who takes back
  • Take Back My TV
  • About the industry
• Green Design
  • About green design
  • Purchasing green products
  • EPEAT
• Responsible Recycling
  • What is responsible recycling?
    • Beware of fake recycling
    • Manufacturers Commitment
  • How to recycle electronics
    • Find a responsible recycler
    • Manufacturer takeback programs
    • The e-stewards program
  • "R2" is not the answer
  • Info for recyclers
• Legislation and Policy
  • State legislation
  • State legislative toolkit
  • Federal legislation

E-Waste Facts

In 2007, we generated over 3 million tons of e‐waste in the US.

99 million TVs in storage in US homes.

The EPA estimates the following quantities of electronics were in storage by 2007 (not including cell phones)

Televisions: 99.1 million
Computers: 65.7 million
Monitors: 42.4 million Laptops: 2.1 million
Hard copy peripherals: 25.2 million
TOTAL: 234.6 million units in storage

Resources needed to make a computer

To manufacture one computer and monitor, it takes 530 pounds of fossil fuels, 48 pounds of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water.

Find out more in our E-Waste Facts and Figures.

Problem: Overview | Quickly Obsolete | Hard to Recycle | Discards Badly Managed

Why We Have an E-Waste Problem

The Problem With Electronics

Products Are Quickly Obsolete and Discarded

In the US, we scrap about 400 million units per year of consumer electronics, according to recycling industry experts. Rapid advances in technology mean that electronic products are becoming obsolete more quickly. This, coupled with explosive sales in consumer electronics, means that more products are being disposed, even if they still work.

More on how products become quickly obsolete

Electronics are Difficult To Recycle

Recycling electronics isn't like recycling cardboard. These products are not easy to recycle. Proper and safe recycling often costs more money than the materials are worth. Why?

Electronics are not designed for recycling

Materials used and physical designs make recycling challenging. While companies claim to offer "green electronics," we are a far way from truly green products. More on not designed for recycling.

Electronics contain many toxic materials

Monitors and televisions made with tubes (not flat panels) have between 4 and 8 pounds of lead in them. Most of the flat panel monitors and TV's contain less lead, but more mercury, from their mercury lamps. About 40% of the heavy metals, including lead, mercury and cadmium, in landfills come from electronic equipment discards. More on toxics in electronics.

Discarded Electronics Are Managed Badly

Most e-waste still goes in the landfill

The EPA estimates that in 2007, the US generated over 3 million TONS of e-waste. But only 13.6% of that was collected for recycling. The other 86.4% went to landfills and incinerators, despite the fact that hazardous chemicals in them can leach out of landfills into groundwater and streams, or that burning the plastics in electronics can emit dioxin. More on e-waste in the landfill.

Most Recyclers Don't Recycle, They Export

And what about the 13% that is supposedly recycled? Most recycling firms take the low road, exporting instead of recycling. From 50 to 80% of e-waste that is collected for recycling is shipped overseas for dismantling under horrific conditions, poisoning the people, land, air, and water in China, other Asian nations and to Ghana and Nigeria in western Africa. More info on global e-waste dumping.

Prison Recycling: High Tech Chain Gang

Electronic recycling operations are increasingly active within America's prison systems. Inmate laborers are not automatically afforded the same degree of worker health and safety protections as are people employed on the outside, nor are they paid comparable wages. Moreover, reliance on high tech chain gangs may frustrate development of the free market infrastructure necessary to safely manage our mountains of e-waste. More on prison recycling