E-Waste Problem Grows

Since the mid-1990s, as the use of small electronic devices like cell phones and mp3 players has grown, electronic waste (e-waste) has become the fastest growing component of the U.S. solid-waste stream.

The United States needs to take action now in order to prevent this toxic waste from harming people and the planet, researchers argued in last week's issue of the journal Science.

Oladele Ogunseitan of the University of California, Davis and colleagues explain that throughout the life cycle of electronic products — from the mining of raw materials to the toxic emissions during manufacturing and the eventual disposal into the environment — waste is produced, and at sites where e-waste is dumped improperly, people and animals often live with elevated levels of toxins, such as lead, in their blood.

More than 1.36 million metric tons of e-waste exists in the United States alone, according to the researcher's estimates. But they also say that most Americans are not aware of e-waste disposal restrictions or policies.

The authors highlight policies and directives set forth by the European regulators that aim to manage e-waste, and they also outline potential U.S. legislation that would promote education, recycling, and research into “green” alternative materials for use in electronic products.