good article
So
where do these electronic relics go to retire? Between 2003 and 2005, as much
as 85 percent of the disposed electronics in the U.S. went straight in the trash and
headed directly to local landfills or incinerators [source: EPA].
Worldwide, as much as 50 million tons of old electronics are discarded annually
[source: Carroll].
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Some
of you may be thinking, “So what? All my other garbage goes to the
landfill, why not my old computer?” But let’s think back to what we
touched on briefly on the previous page — the potentially lethal chemical
combination that could seriously harm the environment if not properly handled. |
 Marina Dodis/Photographer’s Choice RR/Getty ImagesLandfills don’t make the best retirement communities for your old computers.
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landfills are a particularly harsh hotbed for pollutants. In
the U.S.,
e-waste accounts for approximately 4 percent of the total amount of trash, but it
contributes about 40 percent of the lead content in landfills. |
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Posted by admin, filed under UCRO.org. Date: August 14, 2008, 5:29 pm |
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