Electronic waste or eWaste is basically any piece of electrical equipment that is disposed of improperly. That’s very vague and broad, but you get the picture. The amazing thing about this term is that it was something that was rarely discussed years ago. Even going further back, it didn’t even exist! But now that we are entering a new generation and a future where e-waste will continue to grow unless we learn to control it, it becomes more critical to dispose of this waste properly. It’s not that people aren’t aware of the fact that it should be recycled, but I think the problem lies in the lack of information about people’s disposal. When was the last time you knew what to do with your old laptop? I don’t know about you, but I still have one sitting in my closet. Oh, not to mention my four cell phones too…

The amount of e-waste that is disposed of incorrectly at a glance is extremely overwhelming. Now I wish I could tell you something to make you believe otherwise. But until people become more aware of what to do with e-waste or where to dispose of the various types of e-waste, these numbers won’t change.

Let’s take a look at some of the numbers published by http://www.epa.gov a few years ago describing the amount of e-waste that was disposed of and not properly recycled:

– 41.1 million desktop and laptop computers
– 31.9 million computer monitors
– 400 million total units
– More than 3 million total ringtones
– 20-50 million tons worldwide
– Only 13.6% was recycled

To paint a picture, let’s take a look at the two cities where I’ve lived most of my life, San Diego and New Jersey (I choose the entire state because my hometown is so small). I started by doing a Google search to see what e-waste recycling options are available in San Diego County. To the best of my knowledge, there are approximately 42 e-waste recycling facilities in the San Diego area. These facilities will allow you to properly dispose of the following types of waste:

– Mobile phones, PDAs, pagers
– Computer monitors
– Software discs
– Computers/CPUs
– Laptops
– Photocopiers
– Printers/scanners/fax machines
– Stereos/radios/MP3 players or iPods
– Telephones/answering machines
– Televisions (including plasma and LCD)
– VCR/DVD players
– Console games

Now, in my home state of New Jersey, let’s look at the results that Google provided. There are only 9 e-waste recycling plants in the entire state! That’s only 21% of what only San Diego County has. Not even the entire state! I found it completely amazing that NJ is one of the most populous states in the United States. Now I’m not going to claim my hometown state is one of the most progressive states, but I’m sure it’s leaps and bounds above many others. So if San Diego is on the progressive end of the spectrum and NJ is on the lower end, imagine how many other states, cities or counties have even fewer options for e-waste recycling. This has to change and I hope in due time it will!

Please feel free to share your local city initiatives and efforts. I would love to know what others are doing to take steps forward.