According to wikipedia e-waste can be defined as “a waste type consisting of any broken or unwanted electrical or electronic device. Recyclable electronic waste is sometimes further categorized as a “commodity” while e-waste which cannot be reused is distinguished as “waste”. Both types of e-waste have raised concern considering that many components of such equipment are considered toxic and are not biodegradable. Responding to these concerns, many European countries banned e-waste from landfills in the 1990s.” E-waste is basically all of your old, broken or unused electronics including cell phones, computers, televisions, vcr’s, etc.

Greenpeace says “Electronic waste (e-waste) now makes up five percent of all municipal solid waste worldwide, nearly the same amount as all plastic packaging, but it is much more hazardous. Not only developed countries generate e-waste; Asia discards an estimated 12 million tons each year.

The amount of electronic products discarded globally has skyrocketed recently, with 20-50 million tons generated every year. If such a huge figure is hard to imagine, think of it like this - if the estimated amount of e-waste generated every year would be put into containers on a train it would go once around the world!”

Here are a few links to help you learn more about e-waste and the environment:

• Greenpeace - Illegal e-waste exposed
• Greenpeace - Where does all the e-waste go?
• Greenpeace - E-Waste Solutions
• Rethink Initiative
• Worldwatch Institute - China’s E-Waste Problem: Facing Up to the Challenge
• Swiss E-Waste Guide - A guide to sustainable e-waste management

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Related items:

• 21 Things You Didn’t Know You Can Recycle
• Recycling your old Computer
• Batteries, batteries, batteries!