sales annually, according to a report ( "Management of Electronic Waste in the United States") released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in April. The electronics industry generates about $2 billion in U.S. Still, it's a message that consumers and device manufacturers have yet to take to heart even as more products flood the market. This seasonal new tech surge will no doubt please gadget lovers, but it will also result in a heap of old electronic devices being dumped into a waste stream already awash in refuse laden with cadmium, lead, mercury and other toxins.Ī projected increase in toxic trash-such as analog television sets expected to become obsolete by the end of 2009-has government agencies and environmental watchdogs pushing for recycling options and the use of environment-friendly components in new devices. With the holiday season officially upon us, the hunt is on for the hottest cell phones, flat-screen plasma TVs and video game systems. See also, Laws Fail to Keep up with Mounting E-Trash Editor's note: This article is the first of two addressing the problems posed by aging electronic devices entering the waste stream.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |