Hazardous Substances

Electrical and electronic equipment contain different hazardous materials which are harmful to human health and the environment if not disposed of carefully. You can also find out an in-depth review of the best garbage disposal available on amazon. While some naturally occurring substances are harmless in nature, their use in the manufacture of electronic equipment often results in compounds which are hazardous (e.g. chromium becomes chromium VI). The following list gives a selection of the mostly found toxic substances in Read More …

e-Waste Definition

e-Waste for short – or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) – is the term used to describe old, end-of-life or discarded appliances using electricity. It includes computers, consumer electronics, fridges, etc which have been disposed of by their original users. On this website – the e-Waste Guide – “e-waste” is used as a generic term embracing all types of waste containing electrically powered components. e-Waste contains both valuable materials as well as hazardous materials which require special handling and recycling methods. Read More …

Weight

The following table presents a collection of the average weight of selected electric and electronic appliances. Note that the weight of a single item can vary a lot from the average weight, depending on design, age, etc. Item Average Weight (kg) Source Desktop Computer 9.9 Eugster et al. 2007 Laptop Computer 3.5 SWICO Recycling Guarantee 2006 / ecoinvent v2.0 CRT Screen 14.1 Laffely, J. 2007 / Zumbuehl, D. 2006 LCD Screen 4.7 SWICO Recycling Guarantee 2006 / ecoinvent v2.0 Mouse 0.05 Estimate / ecoinvent Read More …

China Approves E-Waste Regulation – Systems Proposed, Penalties Established

CHINA – The State Council has approved a draft regulation on the management of electronic waste or WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), which will tightly control the end-of-life use of main consumer electrical products such as televisions and computers. As with most of China’s new wave of environmental legislation, the regulation was initially issued in draft form “for public comment” before being passed into law. As China: Draft Proposal on Recycling and Treatment of Waste Electrical Appliances, Proposed Regulation, substantial Read More …

Valuable Substances in e-Waste

Electrical and electronic equipment contain various fractions of valuable materials. Most of the valuable substances are found in printed circuit boards, which occur in relevant quantities mainly in the categories Office, Information and Communication Equipment as well as Entertainment and Consumer Electronics. Besides well known precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum, and palladium also scarce materials like indium and gallium start to play an important role, due to their application in new technologies (e.g flat screens, photovoltaics). The following Read More …