The
Next Environmental
Crisis: e-Waste
300 million used cell phones are
lying around
collecting dust in
the US today.
Annually, 130
million used cell
phones will be
discarded along with
300 million used
cartridges &
toners.
Experts warn
that if more viable
ways to recycle or
re-use old
electronics aren’t
found much of the
eWaste will end up
in landfills, where
it poses risks to
our health and
environment.
The current
Electronic Waste
Scenario is that 65,000
tons of toxic,
electronic trash are
amassed every year
and continue to
gather dust and
threaten the
environment.
Annually,
over 140 million
used phones and 400
million toners
become useless
trash! Household
Hazardous Waste
charges a $5 fee for
Each Used CellPhone
turned in for
recycling.
Materials Found
in Cell Phones
The graph below
shows the primary
materials typically
found in new
wireless phones.
Acronyms:
|
ABS-
PC
|
Acrylonitrile
Butadiene
Styrene (ABS)
Polycarbonate
(PC)
|
|
Cu
|
Copper
|
|
Glass
|
Silica,
Soda, Lime
|
|
Al
|
Aluminum
|
|
Fe
|
Iron
|
|
PMMA
|
Polymethyl
Methacrylate
|
|
SiO2
|
Silicon
Dioxide
|
|
Epoxy
|
A
Generic Term
for a Class of
Polymer
|
|
PC
|
Polycarbonate
|
|
Si
|
Silicon
|
|
POM
|
Polyoxymethelyne
|
|
PS
|
Polystyrene
|
|
TBBA
|
Tetrabromobisphenol-A
|
|
Ni
|
Nickel
|
|
Sn
|
Tin
|
|
LCP
|
Liquid
Crystal
Polymer
|
Source: Nokia
Corporation
Precious metals
such as silver,
palladium, and gold
are categorized with
other metals
representing less
than one percent.
In general, a
wireless phone
handset consists of
40% metals, 40%
plastics, and 20%
ceramics and other
trace materials.
Thanks to new
designs, more and
more material in a
wireless phone
handset is
recyclable.
Materials
Recovered From
Wireless Phones
- Wireless device chargers may
be recycled to
recover copper.
- Wireless handsets may be
recycled to
recover
plastics.
- Circuit boards can be
recycled to
recover precious
metals such as
gold, silver and
palladium and
other materials
like copper,
lead, and zinc.
- Accessory devices, including
the headsets,
power packs, and
clips can also
be recycled.
- Batteries are recycled for
their nickel,
iron, cadmium,
lead, and
cobalt.
|
