Electronic recycling

YCLINGGFENWICK & WEST
Environment Protection Consultants 7140 East Ventena Ave Mesa AZ 85212

March 1, 2011 George Peterson Director of Environment Protection Agency Harmful Effects of E-waste 3462 Mission Boulevard Phoenix AZ 80341 Dear George: I have researched harms of e-waste. As requested in your letter on December 20, 2010 and I am recommending that you should work with electroniccompanies such as Sony, LG and Samsung in order make this project work. You should have electronic disposal containers at every house so they can pick up by county and be recycled properly. This way we can help those people in China and India. I am very glad that I am very on this project because we will be saving so many lives. As we discussed early in the project, the simplest and most economicalmethod would be sending those recycling bags to every household in Tempe to put the recycle electronics in them and they will be pick up by county on once in a month. Thank you for inviting us to research this. It was great working with you. If you have further questions call me at (408)-218-8514. Sincerely

Arjun Singh Senior consultant Fenwick & West


 

Harms of E-Waste

Prepared forGeorge Peterson
Director of Environment Protection Agency

Prepared by Arjun Singh Senior Consultant Fenwick & West Mesa. Arizona

March 1, 2011

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Summary

In summer of 2010 Environment Protection Company hired Fenwick & West to research on the harms of E-Waste and we can resolve this problem. In December of 2010 my coworkers and I went to a trip to India to find outwhat is going on there and how they recycle this E-waste. When we saw them, they had no gloves on to handle metal, no mouth protection to cover month. The work conditions were so bad. They were sitting on the ground on the ground and melting the metals. If EPA decide to adopt this method to recycle then none of the E-Waste will be going to third world countries. we have came up with solutions andwe think they are the best and use them as early as possible.


 

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Contents
Summary Contents Introduction Harmful Effects of E-Waste Where does E-Waste go? Figure 1: Countries who gets the E-waste Figure 2 Technology Age Why Choose Developing Nations What do we need to do? Cost Recommendations References 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 11 12


 
 
 
 


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Introduction
Five years ago I worked with the EPA (Environment Protection Agency) on e-waste but at that time they did not use my research to find out what is going on in the world. This year they hired me again because it is becoming a issue for the environment and people’s health. E-waste or electronic waste is a term used for any electronic equipment that has reached theend of its life in the hands of its current user. There are several health issues associated with the toxins found in the electronic waste generated by obsolete computers and other electronic equipment. Electronic products often contain hazardous materials, including lead, Mercury, Arsenic, and Cadmium. Computer monitors contain 6.3% lead and 40% of the lead in US landfills is from discardedelectronic products. Lead that accumulates in the environment has highly acute and chronic toxic effects on plants, animals and microorganisms Cadmium and mercury, toxic e-waste components, pose a risk of irreversible health effects in humans. Electronic scrap from the US is shipped to such countries as China, Pakistan, and India, where recycling is done by hand with no protective gear. The drinkingwater becomes contaminated as a result of glass and cathode ray tubes (which contain lead) being pushed into the rivers. When laborers in these countries incinerate the waste with no protective equipment or clothing, they inhale the polluted air and become physically weak as a result. At the current rate of computer obsolescence, there will be over 300 million tons of ewaste on this planet. Less...