Recycle Electronics Responsibly Improper disposal of old electronics harms groundwater and endangers people.
By Bob Akers
We often retire old computers to a closet or storeroom, while old copiers are pushed aside and buried under other unwanted items. Sadly, these old electronics usually find their way to a dumpster and then to area landfills eventually. Most people are unaware that recycling exists in our community for unwanted electronics, also known as eWaste. Only 11 percent of American electronics are properly recycled. The world faces an environmental crisis due to technology and its rapid advances. Computers have an average life of less than three years; cell phones are being retired after 18 months and printers have become disposable. More stylish flat-panel monitors and televisions are replacing CRT-based technology. Each year Kansas City produces more than 5,000 tons of electronic waste, just from home use. That’s the equivalent in weight to a dozen 747s. If home use produces 5,000 tons, imagine how much electronic waste our business community produces! Most of the reasons to recycle these unwanted electronics are very practical. Landfills are just big holes, and we are filling them up at an alarming rate. Landfills serving the Kansas City area will all be at capacity and closed over the next 15 years. As taxpayers, we may then have to pay to build transfer stations to move our solid waste to landfills in other parts of the country. And as consumers, we will pay higher trash-hauling fees. So, it’s logical to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills, if for no other reason than to extend the life of those facilities.
Wasting Resources We waste huge amounts of resources when we simply throw away our electronics. In one year, Kansas City could dispose of 653 pounds of gold, 3,538 pounds of silver, 192 pounds of palladium and 39,615 pounds of copper just by failing to recycle computers. Yet, we go to extreme measures and expense to mine these materials. Hard rock mining, for example, is very damaging to the environment and not very efficient. It takes 350,000 tons of earth to yield one ton of gold. Mining contributes to air and water pollution, destroys wildlife habitat and endangers the lives of those who work in and live near the mining operation. The electronics we send to landfills also contain toxins. An old monitor or television can contain 6-8 pounds of lead. And the plastic cases of all electronic products contain a flame-retardant material that is toxic. Mercury, phosphor, barium, chromium, beryllium and arsenic are all commonly found in electronic products. Allowing these materials to go to landfills creates a huge environmental problem and puts future generations at risk. Over time, the toxic materials can leach out of the landfill and reach groundwater. The flame-retardant polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDE, which inhibits brain development in children, did not exist in the human body prior to 1980. But over the last five years, it has been found in increasing levels in human breast milk. PBDE has also been found in Missouri eagle eggs, a strong indication that toxins are reaching groundwater.
Just Storing Is Dangerous Many of our electronic products can even be a danger in storage. As we stack and shove items around, we can crack cases and release toxins that can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled. In a disaster, such as a fire, the pile of electronics we have put in storage will release toxins as they burn. A safe and easy solution is eWaste recycling. Some communities are working together to recycle electronics properly. Overland Park, Prairie Village and Harrisonville have eWaste recycling events planned for spring 2008. Lawrence is working on hosting an eWaste event. In past years, Lee’s Summit, Johnson County and Lenexa have had eWaste recycling events. Olathe accepts electronics at a drop-off site. And city recycling centers in Kansas City, Mo., accept electronics. The Surplus Exchange, a not-for-profit organization, will pick up electronics from businesses in the metro area and is open to the public for electronic recycling Tuesday through Saturday. There is a wrong way to recycle. As much as 80 percent of our eWaste leaves the United States to cause environmental damage in other countries. Often women and children work for pennies a day while being exposed to toxins. So, recycling the right way is important. Use only facilities that guarantee electronics will be handled safely and securely, for example, by sending those electronics to Midwest Electronic Recovery in Iowa. MER de-manufactures the electronics. Monitors are crushed in a vacuum and then sent to be smelted. The MER operation has a 90-95 percent recovery rate. By using proper recycling techniques, the environment is protected and valuable resources are saved. Now, look around, and make your office a safer, greener place to work. Bob Akers is marketing director at The Surplus Exchange, an environmental non-profit organization whose mission includes the recycling of electronics. Visit www.SurplusExchange.org. You can reach Bob at (816) 472-0444 or
