To be address in the future or have already discarded the existing number of computer waste is already a serious problem, which is also an alarming rate, the number is growing with. At present, unfortunately, most of the e-waste landfill or burned out by us. Despite our efforts have been made, through the recycling of electronic waste from landfills to separate the electronic waste recycling is misleading features, including the separation of manufacturing, demolition, crushing, burning, export, etc., which are often irregular, and often create new toxic substances. Even in the best conditions, the hazardous waste recycling on the environment is almost no good - it is simply the transfer of toxic substances into two products, and ultimately to be abandoned. Unless the goal is to use a lot of sound design and production of raw materials to re-products, or now the so-called "recycling" no. Existing market conditions, manufacturing methods, the so-called environmental protection do not encourage the implementation of electronic recycling, so now "recycle" the vast majority of e-waste for export in fact, in prison to be demolished or crushed, the crushing process, some material can be reused, while other materials will be discarded.

Storage - U.S. government investigators is expected to sell all the computers in the United States, 3 / 4 still in stock to be addressed. 14 Other studies have estimated the United States these have not been used, inventory number of computers will soon reach 300 million from 15 million to 600 million 80 million units. Average consumer has 2-3 sets of computer waste stored in their garage, closet or storage room, they often hope that one day these things for some people, will become valuable. Computers are rapidly depreciating over time, eventually depreciate the value of raw materials, less than a reasonable recovery in the domestic processing costs. After the completion of production of the residual value of old electronic equipment is the original equipment cost of 1% to 5%. Consumers to spend high price couple of years ago to buy advanced equipment, is now almost no worthwhile.

Landfill and burning - EPA said that in 1997 more than 3.2 million tons of electronic waste landfill in the United States. Electronic components that will be discarded and not stored in most households and small businesses, their waste to landfill or incineration of the waste site, not sent to collection agencies.

Any waste landfill will have a leak, even the most elaborate waste landfills are not completely safe, always a certain amount of chemical reaction occurs and metal leakage. For those a little older or poorly maintained waste management field, the situation was even worse. When the e-waste are discarded in the landfill pit, the metal becomes plastic and boxes, crystal plates, glass tubes, wires, resistors, capacitors and other components and materials collection. Found in the landfill pit about 70% of the heavy metals (including mercury and cadmium) come from discarded electronic components. These electronic components found in heavy metals and other toxic substances will pollute underground water.
In 2001, in recognition of the toxicity of CRTS, California and Massachusetts have banned its landfill.
Incinerator combustion environment in the U.S. and Canada, the largest sources of dioxin and heavy metal pollution in the atmosphere. The e-waste in a common copper is a catalyst for dioxin formation. Brominated flame retardant material and the burning of PVC leads to the formation of highly toxic dioxin, and copper also induced their generation. Some producers will bring their electronic waste for use as cement kiln fuel. Incinerators, cement kilns, but also have the same problem.

Re-use - re-use, including use of direct or second-hand over the original equipment to make a little change, such as increased memory, etc., and then re-use. Were discarded in the user's computer, re-use account for a very small percentage (around 3% in 1998), after the computers sold in a small number of recycled or donated to the school store, non-profit organization . Computers used to accept the old school, students are now required to newer computer.

On the other hand, foreign markets have such cheap labor market, that they can run or not run to buy a computer, to a very low cost of maintenance of them, and then resold to earn profits. Although no reference data available, but the export number of computers for reuse at an alarming pace, while extending the life of the computer is a good thing, but obviously these old computers only a very limited life, sooner or later will become waste. Therefore, these old computers will be in foreign markets into electronic waste, but usually those least able, and reasonable treatment of their country.

Domestic recycling - all existing relevant information on electronic waste recycling are not that today's so-called e-waste recycling in developing countries should be included in recycling. All the research has been done none of the domestic recycling and recycling in developing countries to make a distinction, but a rough estimate of the recycling of all are the same, from the perspective of environmental protection are also equal. One hypothesis is that recycling is always better than the landfill. However, when we deal with the recovery in Asia has led to workers exposure to toxic substances, open dumping or burning of toxic residues and wastes, the situation is not the case. In any place, recycling toxic substances, are facing serious challenges of pollution, especially in the world that almost did not deal with toxic substances and waste-related knowledge and infrastructure of the area is very dangerous.

Despite these warnings, in 1998, it is estimated that there are still about 11% of computers are recycled (including those for export). This number is about 18% a year growth rate. So in 2002 an estimated 12.75 million computers (including monitor, keyboard) will be recycled.

Because most of EPA Act is the production of new equipment for large companies and manufacturers (domestic and small businesses largely excluded from the bills), so they have a higher rate of recycling of electronic waste. Electronics recycling organizations receive "die," electronic products, about 75% from these large users (more than 500 employees). Companies need to destroy obsolete computers in the ownership of confidential information, which is recycled large users to another motive, some recovery agencies to provide special services to ensure that the hard disk is clean.

We need to recognize that very important point, which were identified are doomed to deal with the small 比例 Yonglai recycling of electronic wastes may Hui growing at an alarming rate, because the state or Lianbang further the legislation will further Xianzhi family or small users will discard their electronic wastes in the landfill pit. If the legal limit of small users and households to recycle (and therefore lead to exports) and the number of computers and electronic waste will be rapid growth (please refer to California Island section).

When there is no possibility of re-use after a computer is destined to be discarded, it is the value in the market is likely to fall into negative territory from more than 1,000 U.S. dollars. Indeed, non-recyclable waste as part of treatment costs and careful disposal of old computer components of the cost of hazardous waste, unless you pay, many recycling agencies will not take you with white computer.
Although more and more new brands in the re-use of the computer market began to become valuable, not counting the "recycling" of the cost, had just been abandoned net worth of the old computer is still very small. For example, in an old computer, 5 pounds of iron value of 0.25 U.S. dollars, with gold wire and the CPU chip and (CPU) to the value of one U.S. dollar (assuming the chip itself and then use the market not worth the money); with metal connections (gold , silver and copper) of the motherboard can be the value of 2, and aluminum 15 percent of the hard drive 0.10 dollars, copper 60 percent of the show as the value of 0.80 U.S. dollars with cards.

In short, if the electronic computer chip and circuit board is not precious metals, including silver, gold, platinum and palladium, and today the market of scrap computer recycling almost worthless. Renewable technology that can be used in the metals, palladium is the most valuable. However, many circuit boards (as in the display of) contains only small amounts of precious metals, so they no profit in the domestic market. So if there is no institutional support consumer recovery, computer recovery almost impossible. For large users, the computer system that could lease the computer system for the collection of waste bargain with them. Want to recycle personal computer consumers have little choice in the recycling sector is willing to accept a computer before, consumers have to pay them 10? 30 U.S. dollars. Law does not require users to their home and small e-waste as solid waste management as controlling. Many consumers are more willing to throw away old computers, not spend 10? 30 U.S. dollars to recover them.

Prison - in addition to exports to developing countries, this choice, the United States also has a deal with the field of electronic waste is growing rapidly. In California and other state prisons have established a new "electronic product recycling facilities." The recovery has been touted as a way to solve the problem of electronic waste, low-cost approach. In Aite China, The best federal prison in California, the recycling facility will create 350 "work" opportunities, such as demolition of monitors, televisions and other electronic waste. Since last year's State Department of Toxic Substances Control cathode ray tube monitors landfill ban since it was declared a California e-waste crisis to eliminate the best way. However, due to low labor costs, domestic recovery sector is considered incapable of competing. Taking into account the provisions of the federal OSHA occupational safety and health regulations, some people worried that the removal of toxic and monitor the safety and health of prisoners.

Exports to developing countries - the main theme of this report is on the often overlooked electronic waste management practices??
The "recycling" in the name of the export of electronic waste in developing countries. More and more e-waste flows in Asia are three main reasons are:
* Low labor costs (in China, one day 1.5 U.S. dollars)
* Loose environmental regulations, or implementation of intensity is not strong.
* Although the international law does not allow, without limits in the U.S. is still exporting harmful e-waste is legal.