Electronic waste disposal, growing challenge

But the lack of standardized recycling methods and E-waste’s potentially toxic health effects have sparked a growing debate over how to deal with this tsunami of cast-off technology, according to an article [http://pubs.acs.org/cen] scheduled for the May 26 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS’ weekly newsmagazine.

C&EN Senior Editor Jeff Johnson points out that barely 15 percent of the estimated two million tons of E-waste produced each year in the United States is recycled or reused. Leftovers are often shipped to poorer countries like Africa, India, or China, where workers face health dangers as they attempt to remove lesser valued, more toxic parts, the article notes.

But change may be around the corner. Environmental advocates, community groups, Congress, and some in the electronics industry are seeking alternatives to these “informal” recycling efforts, including the manufacture of “greener” electronic parts and equipment, tougher regulations on the disposal and shipping of E-waste, and “take back” programs that encourage manufacturers to collect the E-waste that they produce, according to the article. -American Chemical Society