Electronics Recycling Electronics Electronics Computers printers and monitors

Electronics Recycling

Electronics

Electronics • • • Computers, printers and monitors TV’s and video recorders Stereos and CD players Cellphones and telephones Others

Electronics (by Weight) 10% 3% 4% 36% 5% 6% 8% 11% 16% TV's Audio/Stereos Monitors Computers VCR's Keyboards Printers Phones Microwaves Others

Composition of Electronics (by Weight) 5% 12% 49% 33% Metal Plastic CRT's Wood Other *

Composition of Electronics • Metals - 54% with well developed markets and remaining 46% is comprised of 11 different metals • Plastics - 25% clean plastics - homogenious and free of contaminants • CRT’s - mostly leaded glass

Metals in Electronics • • • Scrap metal - 54% Motor - 8% Wire - 6% Aluminum - 3% Cast aluminum Copper - 4% • • • Disk drive - 3% Transformers - 7% Yokes - 2. 5% Fans - 1% Radiators - 8% Freon tanks - 3%

Plastics in Electronics • • Scrap plastic - 39% Clean plastic - 25% Carcass - 36% Phone plastic - ‹ 1%

Plastics in Electronics (millions of pounds)

Electronics Trivia • 2. 5% of the solid waste stream • Growth rate is 3 times MSW • In 1992 computers and monitors were 6% of CEWS and today they account for 25% • Hazardous and toxic materials content - lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium and PVC • Computer obsolescence - Just over 2 years • 500 million computers will be obsolete by 2007 • Thin walling is the term used for using less plastics

Electronics Trivia - cont. • If current disposal trends continue, by 2005 the landfill space required for computer carcasses will require one acre of land dug to a depth of 3 1/2 miles (room enough to stack 15 Empire State Buildings end to end).

Disposal Options for Electronics • • Reuse Demanufacture Recycling Landfilling

Recycling of Computers • Erase hard drive prior to sending to recycler • Remove property tags • Pallet of computer electronics: 27 - 14” to 15” monitors 40 - CPU’s 8 to 12 - printers 80 to 120 - laptops

Electronic Recyclers • See detailed handout developed by MDEQ & MRC Call Larry Estes at MDEQ at 601/961 -5036 or e-mail at larry_estes@deq. state. ms. us