E-Waste (Electronics Waste)

The rapid pace of change in the field of electronics has made home appliances and office equipment both affordable and widely used. Much of this equipment is now obsolete or worn out and adds to a steadily increasing waste stream. E-scrap, or e-waste, refers to electronic products that have finished their useful life. This includes televisions and monitors, computers, computer peripherals, audio and stereo equipment, VCRs, DVD players, video cameras, telephones, fax and copying machines, cellular phones, wireless devices, and video game consoles.

What can we do?

Many businesses throughout Kansas collect and process e-scrap. KOR urges every person in Kansas to locate the business nearest them for the safe and environmentally appropriate way to dispose of all worn out and out of date electronic items. The following case study proves what can be done.
 

Where do I take my e-waste?

To locate KOR member businesses that provide recycling services for a variety of materials, click CONNECT TO KOR MEMBERS on the banner at the top right of any page.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has created a website designed to help you locate locations across Kansas where e-waste is accepted: www.kansasrecycles.org

KDHE has an informative site we suggest you visit: www.ksewaste.org/

Other Sites of Interest:

Electronics Take Back Programs – www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ecycling/donate.htm#mftr.  List of retailers and manufacturers that have committed to collecting, reusing, or recycling old electronics.

EPA Plug Into E-Cycling – www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ecycling/index.htm  EPA’s campaign to encourage recycling of consumer electronics.

My Green Electronics – www.mygreenelectronics.org/  Consumer Electronics Association - Learn about the 4 R’s and electronics.

Where can I donate my old E-Waste? – www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ecycling/donate.htm  EPA's listing to local, manufacturer and government sponsored programs.

The State of Kansas has recognized the need for and supports e-scrap recycling. E-scrap takes up valuable landfill space and contains substances that should be disposed of in an environmentally appropriate manner. The following substances can be found in e-scrap:

Substance Occurrence in e-waste:

Halogenated compounds:

• PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) Condensers, Transformers
• TBBA (tetrabromo-bisphenol-A)
• PBB (polybrominated biphenyls)
• PBDE (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) Fire retardants for plastics (thermoplastic components, cable insulation)
• TBBA is presently the most widely used flame retardant in printed wiring boards and casings.
•  Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) Cooling unit, Insulation foam
• PVC (polyvinyl chloride) Cable insulation
• Heavy metals and other metals
• Arsenic Small quantities in the form of gallium arsenide within light emitting diodes
• Barium Getters in CRT
• Beryllium Power supply boxes which contain silicon controlled rectifiers and x-ray lenses
• Cadmium Rechargeable NiCd-batteries, fluorescent layer (CRT screens), printer inks and toners, photocopying-machines (printer drums)
• Chromium VI Data tapes, floppy-disks
• Lead CRT screens, batteries, printed wiring boards
• Lithium Li-batteries
• Mercury Fluorescent lamps that provide backlighting in LCDs, in some alkaline batteries and mercury wetted switches
• Nickel Rechargeable NiCd-batteries or NiMH-batteries, electron gun in CRT
• Rare Earth elements (Yttrium, Europium) Fluorescent layer (CRT-screen)
• Selenium Older photocopying-machines (photo drums)
• Zinc sulphide Interior of CRT screens, mixed with rare earth metals
• Toner Dust Toner cartridges for laser printers / copiers
• Radio-active substances
• Americium Medical equipment, fire detectors, active sensing element in smoke detectors