Go Green: Ewaste Matters in Jacksonville

Go Green: eWaste Matters in Jacksonville

eWaste is one of several scourges endangering our planet and the future of the human race. Most of the other well known problems are either naturally occurring and the causes are known or are manmade with the causes debated. There can be no debating the fact that eWaste is both manmade and the causes and its effects are well documented. eWaste may be second to global warming in the global impact it is having on the planet. Comprehensive steps and procedures have to be implemented to combat this growing problem.

Sources of eWaste

Electronic waste or "eWaste" is a term used to describe old, end-of-life electronic appliances and devices. Sources of "eWaste" include

• Computers;

• Monitors;

• Fax machines and copiers;

• Television sets;

• Stereo/audio equipment;

• Phones (including cell phones);

• Personal digital assistants (PDAs);

• Game consoles; and

• Electronics from industrial sources

Along with these sources, machine control and guidance systems can also represent a source of eWaste.

Where does it come from?

eWaste, discarded electronics, from computers to cell phones to TVs, are now the fastest-growing waste stream in the United States. It is also big business: Hundreds of companies buy and sell the discarded components and materials, generating a $6 billion market in the U.S. But eWaste, which contains such toxins as lead and mercury, is often dumped illegally in the U.S. or shipped to developing countries by shady dealers.

Where does it go?

Less than 20% of the eWaste in markets is marked for recycling; the rest ends up in landfills or dumping sites in developing countries where environmental controls may be less stringent. Of the goods that do make it into the recycling process, 80% get shipped to developing countries such as China, India and several other countries in Africa; where much of the waste is scavenged by the poor who make a living by extracting valuable components...