What is E-waste?

• E-waste or electronic waste includes the

broad spectrum of electronic appliances,
products, components and accessories
that – due to malfunction, exhaustion, or
obsolence – have been discarded.

• When dispose of in a landfill, E-waste

becomes a conglomeration of plastic and
steel casings, circuit boards, glass tubes,
wires, resistors, capacitors and other
assorted parts and materials.

• Cleaned and sorted, the precious metals

• In the US it has been estimates]d that
and other materials that make up E- the 315 million computers they will
waste have considerable value on the become obsolete.
recycling market. The root problem is a
lack of incentives for recycling, and the
• Lead composes around 20 percent of
relatively high cost of dismantling,
each CRT, about 4 to 8 pounds per
cleaning and sorting.
unit. Thus in the US it has been
estimated that the 315 million
• A single component of E-waste – computers the will become obsolete
cathode ray tubes (CRTs) – has lately between 1997 and 2000 will be
emerged as a hazardous waste crisis at carrying more than 1.2 million pound
the international level. of head.
• CRTs are the glass “picture tubes” in Estimated Obsolete Computers in the
television sets, computer monitors and U.S for year 1997 to 2000
other video display devices that amplify
and focus high energy electron beams to
Year No. of Computers
create the images we ultimately see on
our screens.
1997 115 million
1998 215 million
• In order to protect consumers from
1999 275 million
radiation dangers, the glass in CRTs
2000 315 million
contains lead. Lead composes around 20
percent of each CRT about 4 to 8 pounds
per unit.