Responsibly re-sourcing electronics for manufacturing and re-use
Responsible Recycling Facts:
- The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development (DCEO) estimated that the per capita generation of electronic waste will reach 15.27 pounds/year by 2010.
- A desktop computer and monitor weigh an average of 53 pounds and require 530 pounds of fossil fuels, 50 pounds of chemicals and 3,330 pounds of water to make. That's about the same amount of raw materials needed to build a standard sport utility vehicle.
- The National Safety Council estimates that more than 63 million computers were disposed of in 2005, generating about 5.3 billion pounds of electronic waste, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
- In 2007, we generated 3.01 million tons of E-waste in the United States. Of this amount, only 410,000 tons was recycled. The rest was trashed – in landfills or incinerators (EPA).
- The environmental and social benefits of reuse include diminished demand for new products and virgin raw materials (with their own environmental issues); larger quantities of pure water and electricity for associated manufacturing; less packaging per unit; availability of technology to wider swaths of society due to greater affordability of products; and diminished use of landfills.
- The Illinois Recycling Economic Information Study of 2001 estimates that the total economic impact of establishing statewide recycling and reuse programs for residential electronic products may result in the creation of nearly 4,000 new jobs and $740 million in annual receipts.
- The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development (DCEO) estimated that the per capita generation of electronic waste will reach 15.27 pounds/year by 2010.
- A desktop computer and monitor weigh an average of 53 pounds and require 530 pounds of fossil fuels, 50 pounds of chemicals and 3,330 pounds of water to make. That's about the same amount of raw materials needed to build a standard sport utility vehicle.
- The National Safety Council estimates that more than 63 million computers were disposed of in 2005, generating about 5.3 billion pounds of electronic waste, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
- In 2007, we generated 3.01 million tons of E-waste in the United States. Of this amount, only 410,000 tons was recycled. The rest was trashed – in landfills or incinerators (EPA).
- The environmental and social benefits of reuse include diminished demand for new products and virgin raw materials (with their own environmental issues); larger quantities of pure water and electricity for associated manufacturing; less packaging per unit; availability of technology to wider swaths of society due to greater affordability of products; and diminished use of landfills.
- The Illinois Recycling Economic Information Study of 2001 estimates that the total economic impact of establishing statewide recycling and reuse programs for residential electronic products may result in the creation of nearly 4,000 new jobs and $740 million in annual receipts.
