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WASTE
e-waste | production | composition | electronic addiction | Asia & the Pacific | high-tech | poisoned PC | landfilling | recycling-USA | informal recycling-India | exporting harm | addressing the problem | European policy


E-WASTE LANDFILLING


source: www.svtc.org/cleancc/
pubs/ppcttv2004.pdf

www.svtc.org/cleancc/pubs/
2002report.htm

UNEP, ‘E-waste in Asia and
the Pacific’, June 2004,

www.icteap.org/events/
e-waste/bgpaperdoc.pdf

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landfilling

E-waste, often ends up in landfills or incinerators...

Toxic substances like cadmium, mercury and lead that are commonly used in electronic products can contaminate the land, water and air.

Did you know?
  • the cadmium from 1 mobile phone battery is enough to pollute 600,000 litres of water;


  • just 1/70th of a teaspoon of mercury can contaminate 20 acres of a lake, making the fish unfit to eat.
According to the Basel Action Network, in the United States:
  • about 70% of the heavy metals (including mercury and cadmium) found in landfills come from electronic equipment discards;


  • consumer electronics already constitute 40% of lead found in landfills. The main concern in regard to the presence of lead in landfills is the potential for the lead to leach and contaminate drinking water supplies;


  • PVC* accounts for 26% of plastics used in electronics manufacturing.



* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
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