Electronic Waste By Jake McCrary

Overview What is electronic waste? Why is it a problem? What is being done about e-waste? Lead vs. Lead free

What is electronic waste? American definition –Anything with a PCB or slightly complicated electronic components European –Anything with a plug

Electronic Waste More than 4.6 million tons of electronic waste (e-waste) was produced in the US in the year 2000 [Bhuie] In Europe, quantity of e-waste increases 3 to 5% a year [Bhuie] –3 times larger growth than other waste growth

Why is e-waste becoming a big deal? Electronics are becoming more and more a part of everyday life Embedded systems are every place –Microwaves, printers, key fobs, cars, appliances, cell phones

Electronics becoming disposable Cell phones –Life span is about 1.5 years now –130 million are retired a year –Over 500 million are stockpiled [Bhuie] Computers –20 million retired a year –240 million already stockpiled [Bhuie] Estimated that for every new cell phone or computer one becomes obsolete [Bhuie] Why is e-waste becoming a big deal?

Why is it a problem? Hazardous materials found in electronics –Examples: Arsenic, Beryllium, Cadmium, Nickel, Zinc, Antimony, Lead –Can cause damage to brain, lungs, and other organs –Lead especially toxic to developing children [Jackson]

Other Hazardous Materials Hazardous materials not only found in electronic components Toxins are found in the plastics –Brominated flame-retardants (BFR) added to plastics to reduce chance of fire –Damage to sexual development and growth attributed to some BFRs [Jackson]

What is being done? Recycling programs Many programs try to refurbish and sell old equipment Programs in place to mine precious metals from old equipment

Examples of Recycling Computer companies have started recycling programs –Some charge fee –Some give customers rebates on new products Cell Phone recycling –Largest programs are Verizon’s Hopeline and Wireless Foundation’s Donate-a-Phone programs

Cell Phone vs. PC Cell phone recycling much more successful than PC –Costs 12 to 30 dollars to refurbish cell phones –Refurbished cell phone worth 40 to 50 dollars –70% of cell phones refurbished [Bhuie] PC –10% recycled –Costs 13 to 34 dollars –Lack of refurbished market [Bhuie]

Cost Comparison for Collecting and Processing of Cell Phone and PC Cost (US $)Cell PhonePC Collection Transportation Sorting-3.50 Dismantling Refining Disposal of non-hazardous Disposal of hazardous Bhuie, A. K., O. A. Ogunseitan, et al. (2004).

Exporting Waste High cost of labor for recycling Outsource to China –Cheap labor –Laws are less strict City of Guiyu: e-waste hub of world –Drinking water has to be brought in [Johnston] –Horrible working conditions [Grossman] –Studies show problems in workers from recycling [Grossman]

Guiyu Natalie Behring,

Guiyu Natalie Behring,

Guiyu Natalie Behring,

China and E-waste There is a lot of money to be had processing electronic waste Chinese government trying to come up with system Laws have been passed Electronics companies taking some responsibility in making sure waste handled properly [Johnston]

UNICOR Poor conditions not only overseas Federal Prison Industries (UNICOR) run electronic waste processing in prisons [Jackson] Workers are in unsafe environments [Jackson] Negatively affects legitimate recyclers by undercutting on price [Jackson]

Legitimate Recyclers Some take old equipment and pass on to schools and nonprofits Others mine for metals –30 to 50% circuit is made of metal [Grossman] 950 e-waste processors in North America –400 to 500 in the United States [Grossman] 700 million dollar industry in 2003 [Grossman] Estimated that by 2010 the industry will have $3.5 billion dollars in revenue [Grossman]

What about Europe? Two directives have been passed –Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) –Restrictions of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Move responsibility of end of life impact to producer (“producer responsibility”) [Tetra Tech]

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Producers responsible for collection, treatment, and disposal of e-waste [Tetra Tech] Logos must be placed on products alerting customers not to throw away in normal trash [Tetra Tech] Provide list of materials in products to recyclers [Tetra Tech]

Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) The name is fitting Restricts: –Lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, cadmium, and some brominated flame retardants [Tetra Tech] –If there is no alternative you can use the above Every 4 years review to see if you can stop using restricted substance [Grossman]

RoHS Has a large impact on electronics [Mueller] Lead is used in practically everything Getting rid of lead clearly makes end of life better [Mueller] Yet some environmentalists are opposed to lead ban

Lead vs. Lead free SnAgCu is common replacement to SnPb US EPA finds that SnAgCu has greater environmental impact on: –Non-renewable resources –Energy use –Water Quality –Ozone depletion –Global Warming Per 1000 cc of solder, lead free uses an energy equivalent of 162 gallons more of gasoline [United States EPA]

Lead Free Increased environmental impact comes from material and process related issues [United States EPA; Mueller] Metals used are more costly to extract [Mueller] Melting point is higher which results in more energy use [Mueller] Tin based solders form whiskers [Mueller]

Why would anyone want to move to lead free? Improvements cannot be made to impact of lead at end of life Processes used to produce and use lead free solder could be improved Forcing lead free could force companies to come up with recycling friendly designs to reduce cost

Review Electronics are becoming more and more of part of everyday life New legislature is forcing electronic industry to pay attention to environmental impact It is unsure if such laws are beneficial

References Tetra Tech. (2005). "Factsheet: WEEE and RoHS Directives." Retrieved 10/21, 2006, from Bhuie, A. K., O. A. Ogunseitan, et al. (2004). Environmental and economic trade-offs in consumer electronic products recycling: a case study of cell phones and computers. Electronics and the Environment, Conference Record IEEE International Symposium on, May 2004, Page(s): 74 – 79 Grossman, E. (2006). High tech trash: digital devices, hidden toxics, and human health. Washington, Island Press/Shearwater Books. Jackson, A. S., A. Shuman, et al. (2006). "Toxic Sweatshops: How UNICOR Prison Recycling Harms Workers, Communities, the Environment, and the Recycling Industry." Retrieved 10/22, 2006, from Johnston, B. R. (2003). "The Political Ecology of Water: An Introduction " Capitalism, nature, socialism 14(3): Mueller, J., H. Griese, et al. (2005). Transition to lead free soldering - a great change for a better understanding of materials and processes and green electronics. United States. Environmental Protection Agency. (2005). "Solders in electronics a life-cycle assessment." Retrieved 10/20, 2006, from lca-final.pdf.