As 'e-waste' fills dumps, some look for ways to reuse devices

By Devona Walker

Published: February 10, 2008

An estimated 37 million new televisions will be sold this year as the nation's broadcasters switch from analog to digital-only technology, which means millions of pounds of electronic waste will be sent to municipal landfills and incinerators.

Technology has drastically shortened the life span of nearly everything electronic — from computers to TVs to cell phones — making e-waste the fastest-growing portion of our waste stream. It grew by 8 percent between 2004 and 2005 despite the fact that the overall waste volume declined, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

"We got a new HP computer with a Dell monitor and keyboard. We've got the old one sitting under the bed right now,” said Preston Nichols, 55, of Oklahoma City. "I don't really know the best way to get rid of it. So it's just collecting dust right now.”

On a recent afternoon, Nichols and about a dozen others perused rows of flat-screen and plasma TVs. All said they would soon make a purchase — if not that day then within the year.

The United States generates more e-waste than any other nation. The EPA reports that more than 4.6 million tons of it were thrown into landfills in 2000, and they expect that amount has grown fourfold in the last seven years. About 12 percent of e-waste is diverted from landfills and incinerators by the emerging e-cycling industry.

But even recycling has its drawbacks. Environmentalists estimate that 50 to 80 percent of e-waste collected in the United States for recycling is actually exported to such countries as China, Nigeria, India and Pakistan.

"There are a lot of people out there in this industry, and that's what they do. They take whatever they want. Whatever they can't use, they put it in a ship container, and they send it on down the road,” said Tracy Phillips of Tulsa-based Natural Evolutions Inc., an e-cycling company with a "no export” policy.

It was a decision she and her husband made in 2001 when they got involved in the industry. Shipping the unwanted e-waste to waste traders in China or dumping it on the Nigerian reuse market would have meant more money in the short-term and simplified their business.

Greenpeace and the Electronics Takeback Coalition estimate that between 50 and 80 percent of e-waste collected for recycling is not recycled at all domestically. The U.S. hazardous materials regulations on e-waste are minimal. The groups also say that American companies exporting e-waste are operating in violation of many international laws, which forbid the importing of toxic materials.

At Natural Evolutions about 10 percent of what comes in is recycled and the rest is sold for scrap, Phillips said.

"The lead is it primarily, that's the largest amount of toxicity. So when you talk about putting your computer into a landfill, the most harmful thing is going to be the leaded glass. Clearly when you put that into a landfill, the glass is going to be broken, and it will leak,” Phillips said. "The problem is it's not one monitor, it's billions of pounds of monitors. It's billions of pounds of TVs.”

In Oklahoma, about 4.6 million tons of waste per month goes into the 40 landfills across the state. The last incinerator in the state was closed down two years ago.

On average, computer monitors and aging TVs contain 4 to 8 pounds of lead, which can seep out of landfills and eventually seep into storm water. Electronics also can contain chromium, beryllium, nickel, zinc and brominated flame retardants. Semiconductors and chip resistors hold toxic cadmium, which have been linked to kidney damage. Thermostats, relay switches and telecom equipment often contain mercury, and growing amounts of it has been seeping into waterways and sediment, tainting food sources. Mercury has been linked to brain damage.

"That's why we encourage communities to promote e-cycling events, like ‘Hey turn in that phone or computer,'” said Tressa Tillman, EPA spokeswoman. "We have been working to set up collection points in stores and in the community. With manufacturers and the retailers, you can have recycling points.”

There has been an increase in awareness and interest in e-waste in Oklahoma, according to the Department of Environmental Quality. Recycling companies have popped up, as have retailers and manufacturers who are willing to take their old products back when consumers purchase new ones. Dell and Sony both offer recycling programs.

"I think it's a growing issue. There's definitely a growing awareness that emphasizes e-cycling,” said Fenton Rood, land waste manager at the Department of Environmental Quality.

The nation is apparently going green. Hybrid automobile sales continue to break sales records while organic foods, once relegated to niche markets, are multiplying on the shelves at major distributors such as Wal-Mart. But if electronics waste is a priority, consumers might want to take a harder look at the e-cycling vendors getting their business.

"Recyclers are basically hiding behind the green wash. They are hiding behind this language,” said Barbara Kyle, national coordinator of the Electronics Takeback Coalition. "But what they are doing is selling the e-waste to people, waste traders. And in countries like China where labor is about 10 cents per hour, the economics work.”

Waste traders typically hire unskilled works to mine for precious metals and glass. Many of these countries do not have landfills. Consequently much of the e-waste is burned. In Nigeria, however, there is no disposal infrastructure for this waste. The piles just multiply in number and size, Kyle added.

"The problem isn't that it is being deported. It's that it's toxic and it's being deported. The bottom line is manufacturers need to make this stuff less toxic,” Kyle said. "Flat-screen TVs are the poster child for a manufacturing process that really never even considers the end of life for its products.

Nichols has read a bit about the issue of e-waste. He has also read about the threat of identity theft associated with old computers changing hands. He's aware that as soon as he is ready to makes a purchase, something better might come along. "I'm just looking. I'm not going to do anything until I have to,” he said.

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