Outline

 Electronics consumption and E-Waste ** INTRO ** ** Consumption of Electronics and e-waste creation **  With computing power doubling every two years…  50 million cell phones are replaced a month…  How much waste is in 500 million computers? PUT TABLE HERE!

 NEED STATISTICS ON HOW MUCH IS PURCHASED EVERY YEAR

WHAT IS E-WASTE? E-waste is a popular, informal name for electronic products nearing the end of their "useful life." Computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are common electronic products. Many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled. Unfortunately, electronic discards is one of the fastest growing segments of our nation's waste stream. ([])

HOW MUCH E-WASTE IS THERE?

WHERE DOES E-WASTE COME FROM?

In 1998, it was estimated that 20 million computers

became obsolete in the United States, and the overall Ewaste

volume was estimated at 5 to 7 million tons.6

WHERE DOES E-WASTE GO? The volume of obsolete computers thrown out or temporarily stored for later disposal is already a serious problem that is escalating at a rapid rate. Currently, and unfortunately, the vast majority of E-waste ends up in our landfills or incinerators. While there are efforts to divert E-waste from landfills, via “recycling”, electronics “recycling” is a misleading characterization of many disparate practices – including de-manufacturing, dismantling, shredding, burning, exporting, etc. – that is mostly unregulated and often creates additional hazards itself. “Recycling” of hazardous wastes, even under the best of circumstances, has little environmental benefit – it simply moves the hazards into secondary products that eventually have to be disposed of. Unless the goal is to redesign the product to use non-hazardous materials, such recycling is a false solution. Current market conditions and manufacturing methods and inputs discourage environmentally sound electronic recycling practices, so most E-waste that is currently being “recycled” is actually being exported, dismantled in prisons, or shredded in processes where there is some material recovery followed by the discard of the

** Reuse/recycling ** HOW MUCH IS RECYCLED? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Less than 20% is recycled (11 facts about E-waste)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">HOW IS IT RECYCLED? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">*Prison recycling http://www.electronicstakeback.com/global-e-waste-dumping/prison-recycling/

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Dumping/ Exporting ** <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">HOW MUCH E-WASTE IS EXPORTED? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Millions of pounds of electronic waste (E-Waste) from obsolete computers and TVs are being generated in the U.S. each year and huge amounts -- an estimated 50% to 80% collected for recycling -- are being exported. This export is due to cheaper labor, lack of environmental standards Asia, and because such export is still legal in the United States. (Export Harm)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">WHERE IS IT EXPORTED TO? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">*Exported to developing nations (China, Indonesia, Kenya)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> 80% of E-waste from the US is exported to Asia

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The E-waste recycling and disposal operations found in China, India, and Pakistan are extremely polluting and likely to be very damaging to human health. Examples include open burning of plastic waste, exposure to toxic solders, river dumping of acids, and widespread general dumping.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Health and Environmental Consequences ** WHAT IS IN E-WASTE? WHAT DOES E-WASTE DO TO THE ENVIRONMENT? WHAT DOES E-WASTE DO TO PEOPLE? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">__TOXINS__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">LEAD- [] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #151515; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande','Lucida Sans',Arial,sans-serif;">Lead exposure affects the nervous system and can cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children six years old and younger are most at risk.


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #151515; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande','Lucida Sans',Arial,sans-serif;">Hearing and vision impairment,
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #151515; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande','Lucida Sans',Arial,sans-serif;">Reproductive problems (in both men and women),
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #151515; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande','Lucida Sans',Arial,sans-serif;">High blood pressure and hypertension,
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #151515; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande','Lucida Sans',Arial,sans-serif;">Nerve disorders,
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #151515; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande','Lucida Sans',Arial,sans-serif;">Memory and concentration problems,
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #151515; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande','Lucida Sans',Arial,sans-serif;">Poor muscle coordination, and
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #151515; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande','Lucida Sans',Arial,sans-serif;">Muscle and joint pain.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">MERCURY - [] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Mercury exposure at high levels can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system of people of all ages. Research shows that most people's fish consumption does not cause a health concern. However, it has been demonstrated that high levels of methylmercury in the bloodstream of unborn babies and young children may harm the developing nervous system, making the child less able to think and learn.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Birds and mammals that eat fish are more exposed to mercury than other animals in water ecosystems. Similarly, predators that eat fish-eating animals may be highly exposed. At high levels of exposure, methylmercury's harmful effects on these animals include death, reduced reproduction, slower growth and development, and abnormal behavior

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**PLASTICS**- [] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: georgia,times,serif; font-size: 16px;">• Chemicals added to plastics are absorbed by human bodies. Some of these compounds have been found to alter hormones or have other potential human health effects. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: georgia,times,serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">• [|Plastic debris], laced with chemicals and often ingested by marine [|animals] , can injure or poison wildlife. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: georgia,times,serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">• [|Floating plastic waste], which can survive for thousands of years in [|water] , serves as mini [|transportation] devices for invasive species, disrupting habitats. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: georgia,times,serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">• Plastic buried deep in landfills can leach harmful chemicals that spread into groundwater. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: georgia,times,serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">• Around 4 percent of world oil production is used as a feedstock to make plastics, and a similar amount is consumed as energy in the process.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**CADMIUM** - []

Cadmium is very toxic to a variety of species of fish and wildlife. Cadmium causes behavior, growth, and physiological problems in aquatic life at sublethal concentrations

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**CHROMIUM** - <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #003399; display: block; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">[|http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/cr.htm#ixzz1rNtxomka] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">People can be exposed to chromium through breathing, eating or drinking and through skin contact with chromium or chromium compounds <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Other health problems that are caused by chromium(VI) are: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">- Skin rashes

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">- Upset stomachs and ulcers <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">- Respiratory problems <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">- Weakened immune systems <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">- Kidney and liver damage <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">- Alteration of genetic material <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">- Lung cancer <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">- Death <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Most of the chromium in air will eventually settle and end up in waters or soils.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">In animals chromium can cause respiratory problems, a lower ability to fight disease, birth defects, infertility and tumor formation.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">// "The open burning, acid baths and toxic dumping pour //// pollution into the land, air, and water and exposes the //// men, women, and children of Asia’s poorer peoples to //// poison." (Export Harm) //

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS - FIND INFO (HINT PDF)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">What can we do? **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 24px;">MAKE BETTER PRODUCTS <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Some companies are making better products but they are too expensive <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> We need this price to go down <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Better advertising for these products <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Some companies are doing a take back program <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Deals with waste

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">CULTURAL SHIFT <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">There needs to be a cultural shift in teens view of consumption <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Make them more aware of the issues <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Is someone already doing this? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Put on the package how environmentally friendly this is

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** CONCLUSION (yeah!!!) **