This Post is for those who want to go in-depth into e-waste. It is the third and final in a three part series on e-waste.
What is a detailed list of electrical/ electronic gadgets found in e-waste? How much is plastic? How much is metal ? What are the costly metals found in e-waste? What are the hazardous components? etc. I am deeply indebted to Swiss State for Economic Affairs (SECO) and Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) for the data presented.
What is a detailed list of electrical/ electronic gadgets found in e-waste? How much is plastic? How much is metal ? What are the costly metals found in e-waste? What are the hazardous components? etc. I am deeply indebted to Swiss State for Economic Affairs (SECO) and Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) for the data presented.
Why is the rate of growth of e-waste explosive?
e-waste is growing rapidly all over the world. Even in India, which lags behind developed countries, the current rate is around 2,00,000 Metric Tonnes (MT) per year. Why is this so?
The answer is clearly the blazing growth of technology. Whenever Intel Corp. (the world's No.1 computer chip-maker) releases a new processor OR Microsoft Corp. (the leader in PC manufacture) comes out with a new version of Windows, users quickly get rid of their computers (desktops, laptops & handhelds) and switch to the latest offerings for a number of reasons - availability of apps that run only on the latest products, enhanced performance/ speed, entirely new features/ capabilities, peer pressure (especially among young people) to own the latest and coolest gadgets and so on. Often times, the computers trashed are still good for use for some more time but they fail to attract customers who are looking to use them as personal gadgets on a permanent basis.
The answer is clearly the blazing growth of technology. Whenever Intel Corp. (the world's No.1 computer chip-maker) releases a new processor OR Microsoft Corp. (the leader in PC manufacture) comes out with a new version of Windows, users quickly get rid of their computers (desktops, laptops & handhelds) and switch to the latest offerings for a number of reasons - availability of apps that run only on the latest products, enhanced performance/ speed, entirely new features/ capabilities, peer pressure (especially among young people) to own the latest and coolest gadgets and so on. Often times, the computers trashed are still good for use for some more time but they fail to attract customers who are looking to use them as personal gadgets on a permanent basis.
This is now turning true of mobile phones also.
| GLOSSARY |
| ABS | Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene |
| CRT | Cathode Ray Tube. CRTs are found in old TVs and computer monitors |
| EMPA | Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology |
| PCB | Printed Circuit Board |
| RoHS | Restrictions of Hazardous Substances. RoHS is the regulatory framework governing e-waste disposal in the European Union (EU). It is also known as 'Lead-Free'. |
| SteP | "Solving the e-waste Problem" - an initiative of UNEP & UNU to solve the global e-waste problem. |
| UNEP | United Nations Environment Programme. Website: http://unep.org/. |
| UNU | United Nations University. Website: http://unu.edu/. |
| WEEE | Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. This term is a synonym for e-waste and is used primarily in the European Union (EU) instead of the term 'e-waste'. |
Typical weights of electronic gadgets found in e-waste are displayed in Charts 1 & 2 below.
Chart 1
Chart 2
What will you get if you tear down your desktop PC and then analyze each part in detail? Look at the charts below to find out! The average weight of a desktop is 9.9 Kg. If we round it up to 10 Kg, it's easy to do the math and find out - 2.5 Kg of Silica (Si), 2.3 Kg of Plastics, 2 Kg of Iron(Fe), 1.4 Kg of Aluminum (Al), 0.7 Kg of Copper (Cu), 0.6 Kg of Lead (Pb), 0.2 Kg of Zinc (Zn) ... and 30 more.
Chart 3
Chart 4
So far we had focused on the e-waste problem in India only. e-waste is first a global problem. India is following developed nations, who have been faced with the problem earlier. To view the statistics/ info of the e-waste problem at any given world location, click on the globe below. You will be taken to SteP's world map page in a new (window/ tab). Click the country on the world map that you wish to get e-waste info about and you are done!
Chart 3
Chart 4
The e-waste world map
So far we had focused on the e-waste problem in India only. e-waste is first a global problem. India is following developed nations, who have been faced with the problem earlier. To view the statistics/ info of the e-waste problem at any given world location, click on the globe below. You will be taken to SteP's world map page in a new (window/ tab). Click the country on the world map that you wish to get e-waste info about and you are done!
Credit: VectorTemplates.com
What does recycling of e-waste offer?
1. Metals
2. Glass &
3. Plastics
Metals
This group is further sub-divided into the groups: Ferrous (e.g. Iron & Steel) and non-Ferrous (Copper, Tin, Mercury etc.). Another classification that goes by money value divides metals in e-waste to Base Metals(Lead, Tin etc.) & Precious Metals(e.g. Gold, Silver, Platinum). Yet another classification groups metals into the relative quantity present. This classification divides metals in e-waste into Large (i.e. present in large quantities), Small & Trace.
Metals are 100% recyclable and once recycled, can be used for all usual purposes just like new metal on the market.
A significant proportion of glass in e-waste comes from old TV screens & computer Cathode-Ray-Tube (CRT) monitors. Lead in the CRTs bond strongly to the glass and cannot be easily separated. Hence the name 'Leaded glass' for glass in CRT monitors. Leaded glass can only be processed into other leaded glass products (e.g. light fixture lenses, industrial panel glass, auto glass, plate glass, solar cell glass etc.) or reused in ceramics. On the other hand, non-leaded glass can be 100% recycled and reused any number of times. Due the limited application for recycled leaded glass, it is estimated that only 99% of all glass in e-waste is recycled.
Plastics
Those plastics that are polypropylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate based or ABS plastic can be fully recycled. Recycled plastic from e-waste is used in applications such as packaging and textiles.
Recycling of Polyvinyl Chloride(PVC) parts is not economically feasible. It is possible but not easy to recycle plastics present in printed circuit boards (PCBs). Fiber-glass is non-recyclable.
Metals are 100% recyclable and once recycled, can be used for all usual purposes just like new metal on the market.
Glass
A significant proportion of glass in e-waste comes from old TV screens & computer Cathode-Ray-Tube (CRT) monitors. Lead in the CRTs bond strongly to the glass and cannot be easily separated. Hence the name 'Leaded glass' for glass in CRT monitors. Leaded glass can only be processed into other leaded glass products (e.g. light fixture lenses, industrial panel glass, auto glass, plate glass, solar cell glass etc.) or reused in ceramics. On the other hand, non-leaded glass can be 100% recycled and reused any number of times. Due the limited application for recycled leaded glass, it is estimated that only 99% of all glass in e-waste is recycled.
Plastics
Those plastics that are polypropylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate based or ABS plastic can be fully recycled. Recycled plastic from e-waste is used in applications such as packaging and textiles.
Recycling of Polyvinyl Chloride(PVC) parts is not economically feasible. It is possible but not easy to recycle plastics present in printed circuit boards (PCBs). Fiber-glass is non-recyclable.
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