1.2 million tons of e-waste is generated in the UK every year. According to the US EPA, 250 million computers will become obsolete in the next 5 years. That is a lot of plastic and metal mixed in with various different toxic chemicals that will need to be dealt with.
So what kind of toxic materials are contained in your typical PC?
1: Lead in cathode ray tube and solder
2: Arsenic in older cathode ray tubes
5: Antimony trioxide as flame retardant
4: Polybrominated flame retardants in plastic casings, cables and circuit boards
3: Selenium in circuit boards as power supply rectifier
6: Cadmium in circuit boards and semiconductors
7: Chromium in steel as corrosion protection
8: Cobalt in steel for structure and magnetivity
9: Mercury in switches and housing
It looks like the UK initiative to make e-waste recycling law couldn't have come sooner. Where is this in the US?
-via Core77
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One of these is almost too stupid for words: #7. Chromium iron = stainless steel. I don't know about anyone else, but my silverware is mostly stainless steel. The selenium thing is almost as silly. Selenium is necessary for animal life.
I'd love to see a good tech recycling program in the US (hell, actual enforcement of our current recycling programs so the recyclables don't go in the dump would be nice), but let's not go overboard here on what is and isn't actually poisonous.
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That should be: chromium iron = stainless steel.
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