johnannotation2

=11 Facts About E-Waste = [] 
 * 1)  The nation now dumps between 300 million and 400 million electronic items per year, and less than 20% of that e-waste is recycled.
 * 2) E-waste represents 2% of America's trash in landfills, but it equals 70% of overall toxic waste. The extreme amount of lead in electronics alone causes damage in the central and peripheral nervous systems, the blood and the kidneys.
 * 3)  Because computer processing power doubles roughly every two years, many old computers are being abandoned. Only 15% recycle their computers, which means the other 85% end up in landfills.
 * 4)  It’s energy efficient to rebuild old computers, but only about 2% of PCs ever find their way to a second user.
 * 5)  About 50 millions cell phones are replaced worldwide a month, and only 10% are recycled. If we recycled just a million cell phones, it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 1,368 cars off the road for a year.
 * 6)  Flat panel computer monitors and notebooks often contain small amounts of mercury in the bulbs used to light them.
 * 7)  Cathode ray tubes in older TVs and computers typically contain about 4 lbs of lead and sometimes as much as 7 lbs.
 * 8)  The European Union banned e-waste from landfills in the 1990s, and current laws hold manufacturers responsible for e-waste disposal.
 * 9)  Large amounts of e-waste have been sent to countries such as China, India and Kenya, where lower environmental standards and working conditions make processing e-waste more profitable. Around 80 % of the e-waste in the U.S. is exported to Asia.
 * 10)  E-waste legislation in the United States is currently stalled at the state level. Just 24 states have passed or proposed take-back laws. However, as of January 1, 2011, covered electronics are completely banned in West Virginia.
 * 11)  Electronic items that are considered to be hazardous include, but are not limited to:
 * Televisions and computer monitors that contain cathode ray tubes

>> Laptop computers with LCD displays 
 * LCD desktop monitors
 * LCD televisions
 * Plasma televisions // Sources //

[|Green Peace International]

[|California Department of Toxic Substances Control]

[|MotherJones]

[|New York Times] [|National Geographic] [|E-Waste Guide]

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