RECYCLING AND REUSE OPPORTUNITIES
FOR USED ELECTRONICS
INTRODUCTION
When we walk into most households in the U.S. today, we will find at least one television and a computer. Most businesses and other organizations now also use computers, and consider them essential to conduct business. In the past decade, technological advances in electronic and communications have improved economic growth and people’s lives in countless ways. However, the increasing usages of electronic products both at home and in the workplace have given rise to a new environmental challenge: electronic waste. A recent study in U.S shows that electronic already make up approximately 1 percent of the municipal solid waste. Also, researches completed in Europe show that electronics waste is growing at three times the rate of other municipal waste (Researchers 18). In order to protect our environment, electronics waste should be prevented, and older electronics should be reused and recycled.
Purpose of the Study
The purposes of this study are to educate the general public about the environmental impact of e-waste, to provide the recycling and reuse opportunities, and to be aware of the laws and regulations regarding e-waste. According to the report from EPA, over 20 million personal computers became obsolete in 1998. Only 13 percent were reused or recycled (Schmidt 192). Now, many municipalities are facing the dilemma of what to do with growing amounts of retired electronics. Besides, governments worldwide are increasingly concerned about electronic waste. In Europe, some countries have resolved the problem by forcing manufacturers to take back discarded electronics, while states such as California and Massachusetts have banned their disposal in municipal solid ...