1.2 million tons of e-waste is generated in the UK every year. According to the US EPA, 250 million computers will become obsolete in the next 5 years. That is a lot of plastic and metal mixed in with various different toxic chemicals that will need to be dealt with.
So what kind of toxic materials are contained in your typical PC?
posted originally from: AT:Hometech
1: Lead in cathode ray tube and solder
2: Arsenic in older cathode ray tubes
5: Antimony trioxide as flame retardant
4: Polybrominated flame retardants in plastic casings, cables and circuit boards
3: Selenium in circuit boards as power supply rectifier
6: Cadmium in circuit boards and semiconductors
7: Chromium in steel as corrosion protection
8: Cobalt in steel for structure and magnetivity
9: Mercury in switches and housing
It looks like the UK initiative to make e-waste recycling law couldn't have come sooner. Where is this in the US?
-via Core77
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Actually (for all those Chicago-ites), we have a Household Chemical and Electronics Recycling Center:
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalDeptCategoryAction.do?deptCategoryOID=-536897322&contentType=COC_EDITORIAL&topChannelName=SubAgency&entityName=Recycling Chicago&deptMainCategoryOID=-536897322
view The Littlest G's profile
For companies selling internationally such as Dell (disclaimer: yes I am an employee, and no I won't fix your computer) the RoHS regulations that have already gone into effect in the EU mean it's most economical to greatly reduce hazardous substances in computers sold in the rest of the world too. A little more info is here.
view moiety's profile