What is all the fuss about old electronics?

Why the fuss? Because electronic equipment contains metals and other materials that can be hazardous to human health and the environment if they are not properly managed.

While there is some validity to questions about how and if this material will escape from a properly managed landfill, the real issue should have more of an environmental focus.

That focus is that electronics are made with valuable resources, such as precious metals, engineered plastics, glass and other materials-all of which require energy to manufacture. When equipment is thrown away, these resources cannot be recovered and additional energy will be consumed to create new products out of virgin materials.

Regarding pollutants, there are quite a few found in most electronic products. Newer computers do not have as many pollutants because of European regulations requiring registration and notification of the material contained in manufactured and imported materials. Historically, these are the main pollutants of concern in electronics:

Cadmium-found in chip resistors, infrared detectors and semiconductors. Cadmium is persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic to humans.

Lead-found in glass panels of computer monitors and in lead soldering of printed circuit boards. Lead can accumulate in the environment and have a detrimental effect on humans, plants and animals.

Mercury-found in thermostats, relays and switches (e.g., on printed circuit boards), discharge lamps, and batteries. It is also in medical equipment, data transmission equipment, telecommunications equipment and mobile phones. When mercury makes it into waterways, it is transformed into methylated mercury. Methylated mercury accumulates in living organisms and travels up the food chain.

Brominated Flame Retardants-found in printed circuit boards, components such as cables and wiring, as well as plastic covers of monitors and televisions. Once released into the environment, they can be concentrated in the food chain and can cause a variety of issues.

When considering management options for these outdated electronics, each company should first define their objectives for what will be done with the equipment. This should include the ultimate disposition of the equipment and/or component parts. Consider these issues when thinking about disposing of electronics:

Are there company data security issues involved?

Would you want your equipment back out in the resale marketplace?

Could you provide a community service by donating the equipment to a charity?

Is certification that the equipment was disassembled into recyclable raw materials (i.e., metals, plastics and glass) and then combined with other recyclables important?

What about having the equipment simply destroyed?

Do you care if the equipment goes to developing countries for processing?

Before contracting with a company to manage your waste electronics, you should be able to answer these questions and ultimately determine your acceptable options for where your material will end up. If the recycler that you choose to use cannot tell you where the material will end up, carefully consider if you want to use them. Sometimes the prices are exceptionally low because the initial recycler strips the "good stuff" out (those parts most easy to remove and most valuable) and then ships the remaining materials overseas for less than environmentally responsible dismantling.

For more information on this topic, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) eCycling website at http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ecycling/links.htm. The website provides a listing of organizations that will accept electronics and provide recycling opportunities in your area; it also includes suggestions for proper recycling.

COPYRIGHT 2008 PMA Magazine
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning