E-waste or electronic waste is any broken down, unwanted, unusable electrical or electronic device. These materials are toxic and are non-biodegradable. Some examples of e-waste would be computers, televisions, dvd players, vcrs, printers, and mobile phones.
Often these items have high levels of mercury and/or other carcinogens. If placed in landfills e-waste can easily contaminate soil and drinking water. When these materials are placed in an incinerator the toxins create air pollution.
According to CA.gov e-waste is one of the fastest growing elements of waste in the United States.
When disposed of properly the e-waste is stripped of useful materials such as copper, aluminum and steel. Proper disposal of e-waste varies from state to state. Many communities have started to set up “safe recycling centers” for people to take the environmentally correct actions with their e-waste materials.
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