Group items tagged

Hewlett Packard (HP), in collaboration with the Global Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF), and the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (Empa), has launched a groundbreaking initiative to develop sustainable recycling processes to tackle the problem of e-waste in Africa. For the past two years, the initiative has been overseeing a pilot program facility in South Africa and conducting e-waste management assessment studies in both Kenya and Morocco; the goal of the assessments is ultimately to properly determine each country's ability to deal with the e-waste there, whether it arose from electronics that were purchased new within the country and are now reaching their end of life, or from electronics that were shipped illegally from other countries. The project has been examining efforts by both African governments and organizations to safely handle e-waste. The project has been compiling extensive information, such as the policy and legal framework in each country, standard settings for e-waste treatment, organizations and programs already in place to safely process e-waste, and the actual amounts of e-waste present. MediaGlobal article by Shefali Lall, 7/20/09.

E-waste: search through any basement, attic or garage in America and you'll likely find some. Old computers and cell phones, your ancient TV that shows only a scratchy black-and-white picture, that broken printer. These are all examples of electronic waste, also known as e-waste - a booming facet of America's waste stream. Americans generate between 5 and 7 million tons of e-waste each year - and the amount is growing three times faster than other types of municipal waste, according to the Northeast Waste Management Officials Association. The association is a nonprofit interstate group of New England states - including New Hampshire - that coordinates waste and pollution prevention programs. Though e-waste itself isn't a new phenomenon, only within about the last eight years have states tried to grapple with how to properly dispose of electronics that contain chemicals harmful to the environment when simply tossed in a landfill or burned in an incinerator. New Hampshire is one of 18 states in the country to have a law regulating e-waste, and the law may soon get a little stricter.

New e-waste recycling laws passed in Oregon and Washington take effect on New Year's Day, requiring electronics manufacturers to recycled old hardware, and promising to spur the growth of responsible e-waste disposal. The laws, which passed in mid-2007 in Oregon and in 2006 in Washington, require manufacturers to pay for the recycling of their electronics products sold in each state, and is expected to collect as much as 12 million pounds of electronics in Oregon and about 25 million in Washington in the first year alone. The new laws are among the toughest in the country, and highlight what e-waste and public health advocates say is the best solution to the country's -- and the planet's -- enormous e-waste problem. As we found in researching electronic waste in 2008's State of Green Business report, the mountain of potentially valuable (and often toxic) electronic waste is growing substantially faster than companies and governments are able to collect and recycle it. In the wake of a harshly critical government report and an eye-opening exposé on television's 60 Minutes newsmagazine, e-waste has spent a lot of time in the limelight this year. And the new laws promise to help turn the tide from what activist groups have called "anarchy" in the e-waste takeback market.

E-waste poses a serious challenge to public health and has put the environment at risk. To deal with this growing problem, it needs immediate attention at the corporate level. But what are the incentives for doing so, and why should businesses exert time into recycling their e-waste? To find out, Veracity World has listed out a few reasons why e-waste management should be a significant concern for the businesses and ways they can benefit from it.

Article by June Ng, 6/12/09 edition of HK Magazine. "Every year Hong Kong produces more and more harmful electronic waste, but we only have a voluntary e-waste recycling scheme." Discusses e-waste problem from Hong Kong's perspective; includes some statistics specific for Hong Kong on electronic device use, as well as e-waste generation, recycling and fate.

One of the thorniest problems with Green IT is what to do with all the computers, monitors, hardware, and other electronics your company no longer needs. You may think that you've solved the problem by choosing a responsible recycler or asset management firm. But according to a recent 60 Minutes segment, that e-waste may end up in unregulated toxic waste dumps in China that foul the land, water, and air, cause cancers and miscarriages, and endanger children. Includes video of a 60 minutes segment following the illegal trail of e-waste from a recycler in Colorado to China. Article by Preston Gralla, Greener Computing, 11/19/08.

7/18/09 article from The Times [of London] on the problem of illegal e-waste trade and unsafe e-waste processing in Ghana. Article contains the following statistics: "Even in the European Union, which has some of the most stringent controls, an estimated 75 per cent of e-waste is unaccounted for. Most of this, an estimated 8.5 million tonnes a year, is believed to be finding its way to unofficial dumps in West Africa."

As we move into an era of technological advancements, the change in demands and user requirements is inevitable. To sustain competitive goals, individuals and businesses opt for newly upgraded gadgets while ditching the old ones. This rapid change is leading to accumulation of million tons of e-waste worldwide. To deal with this growing problem, it is crucial to serve the discarded electronics with the green recycling process. Read on the blog here that discusses sources of e-waste, their effects, and some easy ways to go green.

Ever thought about what happens to all the IT and electronic products that you consume and discard? Where do they actually go? They end up in landfills and pose a significant threat to the environment and public health. Knowing the fact, Veracity World has listed out the problems of e-waste and some concrete solutions to tackle the issue. The process of building up an integrated e-waste management is also discussed.

This is a summary of available statistics that quantify the problems of electronic waste and e‐waste recycling efforts. Each item includes its source and link to the original documents (where available), to make it easy for reporters to confirm data back to the original source. We assembled these statistics primarily for media and for legislators and advocates of e‐waste

The electronics manufacturer launched a comprehensive takeback program for all of its enterprise mobility products, from laptops to walkie-talkies, as a public survey found recycling is the preferred solution to the e-waste problem.

Technology is a trend that will never go out of date. Every day is a new day for technology - you find a newly launched tech-device turning into a craze or a new smartphone catching the consumer's eye. Due to this disrupted mindset of consumers and many other reasons, e-waste management has become a global issue. Find out some of the opportunities that lie in this problem.

What is R2? The EPA has recently released a new voluntary standard for recyclers of electronic waste, called "R2." R2 stands for "responsible recycling." Unfortunately, it falls well short of "responsible", when it comes to the toxic materials. In fact, the standard is so weak in key areas that the only two participating environmental groups (the Basel Action Network and the Electronics TakeBack Coalition) both withdrew in protest from the multi‐stakeholder process in the final stages. What's Wrong with R2? R2 fails to adequately address the four biggest problems in the electronics recycling industry.What is R2? The EPA has recently released a new voluntary standard for recyclers of electronic waste, called "R2." R2 stands for "responsible recycling." Unfortunately, it falls well short of "responsible", when it comes to the toxic materials. In fact, the standard is so weak in key areas that the only two participating environmental groups (the Basel Action Network and the Electronics TakeBack Coalition) both withdrew in protest from the multi‐stakeholder process in the final stages. What's Wrong with R2? R2 fails to adequately address the four biggest problems in the electronics recycling industry.

People began lining up early Saturday morning to recycle their used electronics. In fact, so many came out to Sedgwick County's 'E-Waste' collection drive, organizers ran into problems. Several people called the Eyewitness Newsroom complaining about long lines. Organizers report at least 1,400 vehicles coming through the checkpoints at the Kansas Coliseum. They had expected 1,000. Reporter Kim Hynes reports see at least one accident.

The Ewaste Foundation's aim is to decrease the e-waste problem and to neutralize the fact that your used electronics, when given a second life in developing countries. Based in the Netherlands.

Short YouTube video describing the e-waste problem.

YAKIMA, Wash. -- In its first month, Washington's new electronics recycling program has collected more than three million pounds of waste -- 20 percent to 30 percent more than expected. Although pleased with the program's success, regulators of E-Cycle Washington are asking people to wait a few months to drop off their electronics so collection sites can catch up with demand. "Response has been good, but there are some capacity issues," said John Friedrick, director of the Washington Materials Management and Financing Authority, which oversees the recycling network. "I anticipated there would be a lot more problems, but there haven't been. Overall, I'm very happy with it."

Welcome to the Consumer Reports' Electronics Reuse & Recycling Center. Here you'll find solutions for dealing with your old Computer, Cell phone, TV and Other electronics, plus tips for buying new electronics that may last longer. You'll also find information about the growing problem of E-waste and what government and industry are doing to address it.

Buying gear on eBay or Craigslist is a great way to save money and spare the planet a little e-waste -- especially if you're technical enough to troubleshoot problems that might frustrate a lesser geek into selling short. But be sure you get everything that should come with the machines you buy, a hard-luck lesson Gripe Line reader Bob recently learned. InfoWorld, 11/16/09.