Consumer electronics, including televisions and other video equipment, computers, assorted peripherals (such as printers, scanners, and fax machines), audio equipment, and phones make up an increasingly larger share of the municipal solid waste stream. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), these kinds of discarded electronics totaled about 2.25 million short tons in 2007.1 Electronics make up about 2 percent of the current solid waste stream, but the EPA says it is growing two to three times faster than any other segment of solid waste.2
Disposal of electronics may pose significant impacts to the environment, especially where the disposal is not properly managed. Electronics are complex devices and can contain a wide variety of materials, including heavy metals, such as lead, nickel, cadmium, and mercury. These substances can be released into the environment if appropriate precautions are not taken at the time they are discarded.3
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