Environmental Facts

Some Facts on Environmental Waste and Electronic Recycling

• The Environmental Protection Agency states that consumers will retire 2 million tons of e-waste in 2007.
• 80% of all American trash and waste is dumped into landfills each year.
• Electronic waste constitutes 2-5% of the US municipal solid waste stream and continues to grow rapidly. A projected 500 million pieces of electronic equipment will be discarded between 1997-2007.
• According to the National Safety Council study reports that over 30 million personal computers become obsolete annually.
• The average life span of a personal computer has shrunk from four or five years to barely two years.
• An average of 200 million tons of computers and other e-waste are discarded into landfills and incinerators every year in the US.
• Monitor glass contains about 20% lead by weight. When glass is crushed into a landfill, the lead has the potential to leak into the soil.
• Each computer and television display uses a Cathode Ray Tube that contains an average of 4-8 pounds of lead.