Introduction
By Mark Engebretson
Electronic Waste Introduction
The amount of electronic waste is skyrocketing in the United States. This is due in large part to advances in technology. For example, as technology improves, the lifespan for electronic tools and devices—such as computers and cell phones—becomes shorter, resulting in more waste. Technological advances also have resulted in decreasing the demand for repair of electronic devices. Compared to the 1960s and1970s, it is nearly always less expensive to buy new than to have a defective product fixed.
In addition, deregulation of the telecommunications is another reason for the growth in electronic waste related to phones.
While the electronic waste stream has increased dramatically in the last 10 to 20 years, efforts to regulate it and increase recycling efforts have been slow to develop.
Historical Background
Forty to 50 years ago as the television industry began to explode and production of color television programs began, TVs became a household staple. But they were relatively expensive. Many or most homeowners could only afford one and often families needed to finance their purchase. When a TV broke down, replacing it, often, was not an option. As a result, the demand for TV repair services was quite high (California Department of Consumer Affairs). These TV repairmen would often make house calls, replacing tubes and other components in damaged sets.
Today, however, the demand for TV repair is nearly non-existent and it is easier and cheaper for consumers to buy new televisions and dispose of defective ones. Even under warranty, it is often the case that defective televisions are replaced instead of repaired by the manufacturer or retailer.
The forced divestiture of the Bell System from AT & T in 1984 also has had an impact on the increase of electronic waste in the form of telephones, wireless phones, and cell phones. Prior to the divestiture, AT&T and Bell leased their phones, made by subsidiary Western Electric, to customers. According to the Bell System Memorial website, Western Electric phones were built to last decades. If anything did go wrong with a phone, the local Bell company would send a repairman to fix it for free. In the 1950s and 1960s, it was typical for families to have only one phone in their home. Likewise, typewriters—yesterday’s word processors—were built to last. The relatively few families that owned typewriters expected them to last for years.
Obviously, a lot has changed.
How much waste?
Electronic waste is the fastest growing component of the municipal solid waste stream (Greenpeace), largely because consumers so frequently upgrade their electronics, especially mobile phones and computers.
Consider:
- More than 1 billion PCs are now in use worldwide. Annual growth is 12 percent and it is projected that installed computers will approach 2 billion by 2014. (Gartner, Inc.)
- The average lifespan of computers in developed countries has dropped from six years in 1997 to just two years in 2005. (Greenpeace)
- The GAO estimates that 100 million TVs, computers, and monitors are discarded annually.
- In 2007 alone, 68 million TVs were thrown away. (Washington Post, April 26, 2008)
- 2007 sales of mobile phone sales topped 1.1 billion worldwide, a 16 percent increase over 2006. (Gartner, Inc.)
- Apple has sold more than 100 million iPods (Washington Post)
One reason for the increase in trashed TVs is the Feb. 17, 2009 government-ordered transition from analog to digital television. On that date, television stations can no longer broadcast using analog airwaves. In order to view television programming after Feb. 17, 2009, consumers will have to own a digital TV, subscribe to cable TV or satellite TV, or purchase a digital converter box for their analog television set.
The transition was ordered by the federal government in order to free up parts of the broadcast spectrum for public safety communications. In addition, some of the analog airwaves will be sold to companies to provide consumers with more advanced wireless services (such as wireless broadband).
Other consumer benefits include improved picture and sound quality. (Federal Communications Commission)
To assist consumers with older TV sets during this transition, the federal government is offering families up to two $40 coupons per household to offset the cost of digital converter boxes. The boxes cost between $40 and $100. As of October 17.4 million households have requested 29, 32.6 million coupons. More than 13 million coupons have been redeemed. (Digital TV Trainer)
The concern over the growth of electronic waste is due to the fact that electronics contain hazardous chemicals, including mercury in batteries, cadmium in displays and toxins in circuit boards. Older TVs and computer monitors with cathode ray tubes, or CRTs, contain four to eight pounds of lead. Such substances can be harmful when buried in landfills, potentially leaching toxins into groundwater supplies.
That concern is heightened when one considers that recycling efforts by states and local government are just now coming online. For example, only 11 states have passed laws to establish TV recycling programs. The EPA estimates that in 2005, the United States generated 2.63 million tons of electronic waste. But only 12.5 percent of that was collected for recycling. (Electronics TakeBack Coalition)
Furthermore, there is concern about where recycled electronics end up. According to the Seattle-based Basel Action Network, most of the millions of analog TV sets that will be discarded in America before the digital TV transition next year will end up in ditches in the developing world.
"We're allowing the developing countries to manufacture these products, we get to use them during their least toxic phase, and then we send them back to the developing countries for one of those most toxic phases,� says Sarah Westervelt, Basel Action Network. (Basel Action Network, March 16, 2008)