No. 1 2013 Vol. 1 u FACTS AND STATISTICS ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF E-WASTE CREATED IN THE UNITED STATES………..1

u ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS AND HEALTH EFFECTS OF E-WASTE……………...2&3

u E-WASTE LEGISLATION AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES….4&5 E-Waste

Awareness

INFORMING THE PUBLIC ABOUT SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE USE OF ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY

E-waste is a growing concern because 20 million to 50 million tons of e-waste is generated worldwide each year.

Mobile Phone E-waste

E-waste, or electronic waste, is the term that describes all discarded electronic devices. Such devices include household appliances, computers, televisions and monitors, and mobile phones. According to [1], approximately 3 million metric tons of e-waste was produced by the United States in 2010. This makes the U.S. one of the largest contributors to the 20 million to 50 million tons of e-waste generated yearly. Given that African elephants weigh at most 14,000 pounds, [2], the amount of e-waste produced by the US in 2010 was equivalent to the weight of approximately 471,500 African elephants. In total, e-waste accounts for over

A major cause of the build up of e-waste is the increased use of mobile consumer electronics such as cell phones. [4] estimates that cell phone use among adults has increased from 65% in November of 2004 to 91% as of May 2013. This increase in cell phone use has contributed significantly to the production of e-waste. As stated in [3], around 14 million used mobile phones are sent to landfills in the United States each year. These mobile phones alone make up 65,000 metric tons of e-waste.

2% of all the trash found in America’s landfills and 70% of all toxic waste [3]. One reason that the amount of e-waste produced yearly is so high is that only around 20% of all electronics are properly recycled. Often, even electronics taken to recycling centers are not recycled properly. Improperly managed e-waste is usually burned or dumped which leads to the loss of valuable material that could be reclaimed. It also results in the introduction of toxic materials to the environment [1].

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E-Waste Facts and Statistics StaStatisticstics

[3]

Environmental

Hazards of E-waste

Improper disposal of e-waste can introduce harmful toxins such as bromine, chlorine, cadmium, lead, and mercury into the environment.

Over the past decade, cellphone use has risen exponentially. While cellphones provide many benefits for society, they also pose a problem for the environment. What happens to a cellphone once it is no longer needed or usable? It becomes e-waste and must be disposed of properly due to the dangerous materials it contains. To add to the problem, cellphones have a “high obsolecence rate,” meaning new models are constantly being created, causing users to dispose of their previous device before it is unusable [6]. With this growing global problem, the public should be more aware of the possible environmental hazards of a cellphone if it is not disposed of effectively. Cellphones contain hazardous components that cause risks to the environment. These components include bromine, chlorine, cadmium, lead, and mercury [7]. The resultant environmental risks are not as prevelant in the U.S. because most e-waste is shipped to developing countries where there are less regulations and environmental safety protocols [8]. However, this is by no means a reason to disregard the dangers of e-waste on the environment. The harmful components contained in everyday mobile devices release toxins into the environment that wreak havoc on mother nature. The hazardous substances hurt the environment in every stage of use, from extraction to distruction. The emissions released during the e-waste disposal and

CHOOSING THE RIGHT CELL

PHONE:

Features vs. Environmental

Safety

The figure above shows that the Motorola Citrus, iPhone

4s, LG Remarq, and Samsung Captivate are all among the best cell phones

for the environment. Some of the worst cell phones for the

environment include the iPhone 2G, Palm m125, and

Motorola MOTO W233 Renew.

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recycling process is the most harmful [8]. Such emissions pollute the atmosphere, water supplies, and clean breathing air for people in the area. For example, lead can accumulate in the environment causing “acute and chronic toxic effects on plants, animals and microorganisms,” while also contaminating drinking water supplies [7]. To protect the environment, the public needs to be aware of the toxic power of the cellphones many are so attached to. Another question to consider is: how does recycling cellphones help the environment? Actually, recycling cellphones correctly helps conserve energy, limit pollution, and save precious materials that are hard to come by. Many valuable materials – metals, copper, and plastics – in cellphones require energy to mine and process; therefore, recycling these materials conserves energy and natural resources [9]. Furthermore, recycling the materials avoids water and atmospheric pollution caused by the disposal process. Shockingly, by recycling cellphones, energy can be saved equivalent to the amount of electricity used by 24,000 US homes in a year [9]. The recycled materials can be used in a plethora of industries such as jewlry, plating, electronics, automotive, and art foundries [9]. If it is still questionable whether to reclyce a cellphone or not, just consider the amount of energy, clean water, and clean air that can be saved for each cellphone reused.

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[8]

Hazardous  Material    

Related  Health  Risks  

Lead   Damages  the  central  and  peripheral  nervous  systems,  blood  system  and  kidneys.  Serious  negative  effects  on  brain  development  in  children.  

Mercury    Damages  brain  functionality  and  development.    

Cadmium   Long-­‐term  exposure  can  cause  kidney  damage  and  damage  to  bone  density.  Cadmium  is  also  a  known  carcinogen    

 Brominated  Flame  Retardants  

 Exposure  in  early  life  could  induce  neurotoxic  effects  and  suspected  to  damage  growth  and  sexual  development,  imparting  reproductive  harm.    

Health Hazards Unregulated recycling leads to environmental damage. People who live among recycling facilities are at risk for major health issues caused by primitive recycling techniques and ecological exposure.

E-waste is becoming a critical global health issue because of its massive production quantity. Discarded items are bound for unregulated recycling facilities throughout the developing world. This unregulated recycling is prevalent in China, India, Vietnam, and countries in West Africa [10]. Once there, e-waste is often mined for gold, copper, platinum and other materials of value. These processes are unsafe and conducted by people without knowledge of exposure-minimizing technology or protective equipment [11]. These practices expose populations both directly and indirectly to health-harming chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants. Exposure to e-waste occurs directly through unsafe recycling processes then indirectly through ecological exposure. The families living amidst the recycling facilities inhale toxic fumes and are exposed to the accumulated chemicals in the soil, water, and food [12].

WHERE YOUR E-WASTE ENDS UP

Chris Carroll from the National Geographic describes his

experience in Accra, the capital of Ghana. There, primitive

recycling techniques are used to mine valuable metals. From

these processes, he saw dozens of indistinct figures

move among plumes of smoke, some stirring flames with sticks, others carrying armfuls of brightly colored computer wire. Most were

children.

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The harmful environment puts children and pregnant women especially at risk. Aimin Chen, MD, PhD, of the University of Cincinnati’s environmental health department links the increased risk as being a result of the state of infant and young children’s developing brains [13]. The blood-brain barrier is not as effective as in adults, so neurotoxic substances, like heavy metals, can cause developmental damage. The large proportion of contaminated air, water and food intake with respect to their weight has also made children especially vulnerable. As a result, children are at increased risk for chemical absorption at hazardous levels [12]. Reported adverse effects include: fetal loss, prematurity, low birth weight, and congenital malformations; abnormal thyroid function and thyroid development; neurobehavioral disturbances; and genotoxicity [11]. Other health issues which include respiratory irritation and skin burning have also been reported [10].

[17]

[16]

[14], [15]

One aspect of the electronic waste problem is the

government’s place in the issue. Many efforts have been put forth in the United States and throughout the world to create legislation to control e-waste. Even in the United States, different attempts at encouraging e-waste recycling have seen varying effectiveness through federal and state legislation. The United States has pursued government action at both the federal and state levels. The last legislation to be passed by the federal government was the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976 [18]. It was the first and remains the primary federal law regarding the management and disposal of hazardous waste. The law essentially allows the Environmental Protection Agency to oversee and set standards for the management and treatment of all solid waste. However, the law was passed before the problem of e-waste was even realized, and it therefore does not specify any real details about e-waste in particular. Further legislation has been sought since then to ratify laws specifically addressing the e-waste problem. One example is the Responsible Electronics Recycling Act [19], which was introduced to Congress in 2011. The act would advance the actions of the RCRA by focusing primarily on e-waste and recycling. It defines the classification of “e-waste” and determines what is allowed and forbidden. It would prohibit the export of e-waste to countries which have not met worldwide waste management standards. The EPA would be required to develop procedures to identify potentially hazardous waste materials before they are disposed. The act would also establish criminal penalties to those who knowingly violate these regulations. The Responsible Electronics Recycling Act was brought to Congress but has yet to be federally enacted [20]. E-waste management at the state level has been met with greater success. 25 states have passed e-waste laws, ranging from e-waste education to offering e-recycling incentives to producer responsibility laws [21]. In addition, 17 states have gone as far as enacting statewide bans on disposing e-waste into landfills or

incinerators. Arkansas was the first state to enact e-waste laws, with its 2001 Arkansas Computer and Electronic Solid Waste Management Act. The bill requires the management and sale of surplus electronics, introduces e-waste recycling programs, and bans e-waste in landfills. California has been the notable leader in the crusade against e-waste. California passed the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003 to reduce the use of hazardous materials to in turn reduce hazardous e-waste [22]. Furthermore, the act established an electronic waste recycling fee. These fees, which are common across Europe, are added to the cost of the electronic device and are then used governmentally to recycle

future e-waste. More states are continually deliberating on the enactment of e-recycling and e-waste laws. The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, known simply as the Basel Convention, has been perhaps the strongest worldwide movement to prevent the export and distribution of e-waste [23]. The main goal of the treaty was to reduce the transfer of hazardous e-waste between countries; it especially was designed to eliminate the movement of e-waste from developed nations to less developed countries. Originally, 53 nations signed the treaty into effect in 1992, including the United States. Of the countries to sign the treaty, only the United States and Haiti have not ratified it. Since then, 180 nations have either ratified the treaty or abide by its conventions, including all of the European Union. China has also ratified the treaty, despite its reputation as an e-waste recycling hub.

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The image above shows a representation of the members of the Basel Convention in 2006 and the growth of its use since 1993. Since then, 12 more independent nations have joined the convention. Although the United States was one of 53 original signatures, it has not yet accepted the convention.

Governmental Action A look at what the U.S. government and governments abroad have done to tackle the e-waste issue

Representation of states that have passed e-waste legslation [21]

Management Programs Programs offered as solutions to the growing E-Waste problem.

Many services have been made accessible to the public that make participation in e-waste management easy. ecoATM is an example of an automated e-waste management service. Devices that are deposited in an ecoATM are inspected electronically. After inspection, ecoATM determines the current value of the device in the world market and offers a fair and accurate price for it. Once the user agrees to the price, cash is given in return for the device. ecoATM then properly recycles the 40% of materials and parts that cannot be reused. The plastics and other toxins in the device which may adversely affect the environment are quarantined. The metals in the device are refined and resold. The company is currently in 41 states and has over 650 machines. This includes a trial run of the ecoATM in Walmart. There are hopes to eventually have an ecoATM within 5 miles of 90% of the United States population [25].

ecoATM offers you cash for old or broken cell phones,

tablets, and other electronics. They properly recycle or

dispose of all materials they can not use. This includes the potentially harmful materials

inside common pieces of technology.

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Cell phone carriers also offer customers incentive to recycle cell phones. Companies like Sprint, Verizon and AT&T use old cell phones and recycle them into parts for new cell phones. Each of these companies offers their customers in-store credit toward their next cell phone purchase. Sprint offers the most money out of the three. Sprint states that they reuse nine out of ten recycled cellphones. Sprint also offers prepaid shipping labels to customers who wish to send back devices or batteries for store credit. This service is available to customers with or without the purchase of a new device. Because of this, Sprint has a recycled/reused rate of 44%. This rate is much higher than the estimated 11% recycled/reused rate for all smartphones and tablets [26].

Advertisement for Sprint’s cell phone buyback program, from [27]

[25]

[25]

Resources and Citations

[1] E-Waste Facts. (2011). Causes International [Online]. Available: http://www.causesinternational.com/ewaste/e-waste-fact (Accessed 12

November 2013)

[2] African Elephant. (2013). National Geographic [Online]. Available: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/african-elephant/

(Accessed 12 November 2013)

[3] G. Voakes. (2012). The Lesser-Known Facts About E-Waste Recycling. Business Insider [Online]. Available:

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-lesser-known-facts-about-e-waste-recycling-2012-10 (Accessed 12 November 2013)

[4] L. Rainie. (2013). Cell phone ownership hits 91% of adults. Pew Research Center [Online]. Available: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-

tank/2013/06/06/cell-phone-ownership-hits-91-of-adults/ (Accessed 12 November 2013)

[5] Atterobay Blogs. (2011). Atterobay [Online]. Available: http://www.atterobay.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/E-Waste-Health-

Hazards1.jpg (Accessed 12 November 2013)

[6] Violet N. Pinto (2008, Aug.). “E-waste hazard: The impending challenge.” Indian J Occup Environ Med. [Online]. 2008 August; vol. 12(2), pp.

65-70. Available: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2796756/.

[7] Theresa Stiner, and Sue Johnson. “E-Waste: Environmental and Health Hazards.” Internet:

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/LandStewardship/WasteManagement/Recycling/Ewaste/HazardsofEwaste.aspx, Nov. 8, 2013 [Nov. 4,

2013].

[8] Damien Gayle. “Chemical breakdown: The Toxic substances inside your mobile phone.” Internet:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2213366/Chemical-breakdown-What-really-goes-new-iPhone.html, Oct. 5, 2012 [Nov. 5, 2013].

[9] United States Environmental Protection Agency. “Wastes – Resource Conservation – Common Wastes & Materials – eCycling.” Internet:

http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/ecycling/faq.htm#mining, Nov. 14, 2012 [Nov. 7, 2013].

[10] Whitacre, Paula. (2013, July). NIEHS spurs investigation into the health effects of e-waste recycling [Online]. Available:

http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2013/7/spotlight-ewaste/

[11] Noel-Brune, Marie. (2013, June 28). Health effects of exposure to e-waste [Online]. Available:

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X%2813%2970020-2/fulltext

[12] World Health Organization. Electronic waste [Online]. Available: http://www.who.int/ceh/risks/ewaste/en/index.html

[13] Harper, Amanda. (2010, December). Environmental health researcher to study effect of ‘e-waste’ on human health [Online]. Available:

http://healthnews.uc.edu/publications/findings/?/12086/12104/

[14] Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. E-waste [Online]. Available: http://svtc.org/our-work/e-waste/

[15] Iowa Department of Natural Resources. E-waste: Enviornmental and health hazards [Online]. Available:

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/LandStewardship/WasteManagement/Recycling/Ewaste/HazardsofEwaste.aspx

[16] Carroll, Chris. (2008, January). High-Tech Trash [Online]. Available: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/01/high-tech-trash/carroll-text

[17] Greenpeace. Greener Electronics [Online]. Available: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/toxics/electronics/

[18] EPA. [Online]. Available: http://www2.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-resource-conservation-and-recovery-act

[19] "Library of Congress Summary," [Online]. Available: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr2284#summary

[20] EPA, "Regulations/Standards," [Online]. Available: http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/ecycling/rules.html

[21] E. T. B. Coalition, "State Legislation," [Online]. Available: http://www.electronicstakeback.com/promote-good-laws/state-legislation/

[22] CalRecycle, "Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003," [Online]. Available: http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/electronics/act2003/

[23] "Basel Convention," [Online]. Available: http://www.basel.int/

[24] 168 Partiesto the Basel Convention in 2006. (2013). Grid Arendal [Online]. Available: http://www.grida.no/graphicslib/detail/168-parties-to-

the-basel-convention-in-2006_efa8#

[25] Andrew Keen. (2013). Keen on…ecoATM: the green solution for selling old phones and tablets. [Online]. Available:

http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/22/keen-on-ecoatm-the-green-solution-for-selling-old-phones-and-tablets/

[26] Jennifer Inez Ward. (2013). Sprint wins on e-waste: why do AT&T and Verizon fall short? [Online]. Available:

http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/sprint-wins-waste-phone-companies

[27] WMPoweruser. (2011). Sprint encouraging WP7 HTC Arrive users to dump their phones for an iPhone 4. [Online]. Available:

http://wmpoweruser.com/sprint-encouraging-wp7-htc-arrive-users-to-dump-their-phones-for-an-iphone-4/