When you look it up “E-waste” on the Internet, you can easily get 313,000 hits within 33 seconds. That sounds like there could be a lot of different definitions for this too-often disposed product, which is the fastest growing portion of our solid waste stream according to many accounts. Luckily, there’s a common theme running through the primary definitions (no, I didn’t read all 313,000).

To keep it simple and applicable to Cape residents, according to state Department of Environmental Protection, the department which regulates what must be managed differently or removed from our waste streams, E-waste or electronic waste is described as being: “unwanted, obsolete, or unusable electronic products such as televisions, computers (including monitors and accessories), audio/stereo equipment, VCR and DVD players, video cameras, telephones, cell phones and other wireless devices as well as fax and copy machines and video game consoles.” Whew! That sure is a number of products that we all probably have in our homes, some of which work and other older models which are hibernating in the back of the kitchen junk drawer. While hibernating E-waste isn’t going to cause any problems, improper disposal can cause problems.

In order to function properly, most E-waste, in addition to their plastic or metal casing or housing, contains some pretty toxic, but necessary components. These metals or elements, such as mercury, cadmium, lead, copper, lithium, palladium and other rare earth elements are vital components, which should be managed properly to prevent pollution, but also to prevent wasting these crucial resources. With the constant updating of electronic equipment, a strain has been placed on existing worldwide supplies, which could stall upgrades and innovation and even replacement products.

So what’s the worry? According to a 2013 web article on LiveScience.com “In 2009, world production of rare earth elements totaled 126,230 metric tons, with China producing 95 percent of the world’s total.” The report and accompanying infographic noted that, at that time, the United States imported “all of its rare earths from China, France, Japan and Austria.” While the article is somewhat dated, the message is not.

Recaptured rare earth elements can be reused in many new products including lasers, magnets, televisions, fuel cells, more electronic devices and even sonar and nuclear technologies. So while your one 2010 era flip phone doesn’t contain enough of any metal to make a real difference, consider how that recovered resource, when added to all those other flip phones, could make a difference in the volume of recovered metals and reduced pollution.

Are there other benefits to recycling E-waste? You bet there are. Recycling these products also results in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and a reduction of the impacts created by extracting raw materials from the earth. Recycling them can also help to create jobs in the recycling and refurbishing fields.

As an aside, in European countries, E-waste includes any product with an electrical cord, but here on Cape, we generally put all those other electrical appliances and products in with the scrap metal. If you’re not sure what happens in your town, just check with your Department of Public Works for the correct spot to recycle both your E-waste and other electrics, no matter the size.

To read the full story, visit http://chatham.wickedlocal.com/news/20170114/guest-commentary-hazards-of-electronic-waste.

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