broad spectrum of electronic appliances, products, components and accessories that – due to malfunction, exhaustion, or obsolence – have been discarded.
• When dispose of in a landfill, E-waste
becomes a conglomeration of plastic and steel casings, circuit boards, glass tubes, wires, resistors, capacitors and other assorted parts and materials.
• Cleaned and sorted, the precious metals
• In the US it has been estimates]d that and other materials that make up E- the 315 million computers they will waste have considerable value on the become obsolete. recycling market. The root problem is a lack of incentives for recycling, and the • Lead composes around 20 percent of relatively high cost of dismantling, each CRT, about 4 to 8 pounds per cleaning and sorting. unit. Thus in the US it has been estimated that the 315 million • A single component of E-waste – computers the will become obsolete cathode ray tubes (CRTs) – has lately between 1997 and 2000 will be emerged as a hazardous waste crisis at carrying more than 1.2 million pound the international level. of head. • CRTs are the glass “picture tubes” in Estimated Obsolete Computers in the television sets, computer monitors and U.S for year 1997 to 2000 other video display devices that amplify and focus high energy electron beams to Year No. of Computers create the images we ultimately see on our screens. 1997 115 million 1998 215 million • In order to protect consumers from 1999 275 million radiation dangers, the glass in CRTs 2000 315 million contains lead. Lead composes around 20 percent of each CRT about 4 to 8 pounds per unit.