 More than 1.5 million tons of e-waste—TVs, computer monitors, desktop computers, cell phones, batteries etc., are thrown into landfills and incinerators around the United States every year. These electronic computer parts contain toxic materials such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. Did you know that a typical 17-inch computer monitor contains about 2.2 pounds of lead and a 27-inch television could produce as much as 8 pounds? As a result, the toxins are released into the air and water, making e-waste a public health issue as well an environmental one. Beryllium is commonly found on motherboards and connectors and is a known human carcinogen.
 While both the government and the private sector agree that e-waste is a huge problem, there’s no consensus on how to solve it. There are no federal regulations that address household electronic waste. However, the European Union has policies in place that make manufacturers responsible for recycling their products and decreasing the levels of harmful metals used in them.
California and many other states have passed laws banning disposal of electronics in a landfill. Since 2005, California has also imposed an e-waste fee when buying CRT or LCD monitors or TVs, adding portable DVD players with LCD screens to the list in 2007. The intent of this fee is to reduce, or eliminate, the costs associated with properly recycling these materials when they become waste. At present, California is the only state with such a program.
WHAT WAS OLD IS NEW AGAIN
When recycling electronics, many different materials can be recovered, keeping unnecessary waste out of landfills and providing resources for use in other markets. For example a CRT monitor can be recycled into plastic, metal, circuit boards, glass, etc. Each component is then sent to other recyclers who further process each item to make it usable for the market again. Some items that are rebuilt or remanufactured from used products are toner cartridges or computers.
HOW TO RECYCLE YOUR e-waste
 First, donate any working equipment to a school or nonprofit. If it’s broken, find out if your state has an e-waste disposal program. Check with your local waste management company or private companies in your community. One company in my area accepts e-waste free of charge the first Saturday of every month.
If you’re not sure how to recycle something in your area, you can visit earth911.org. Type in what you want to recycle and your zip code and the site will bring up locations where you can take your items.
Yet another option is to send the machine back to its maker. Many companies—including Apple , Dell and Sony - will take back their products, although you may have to pay for shipping.
A pilot program just launched by the U.S. Postal Service allows customers to recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges by mailing them free of charge.
The “Mail Back” program now being tested makes it easier for consumers to discard small electronics and ink cartridges in an environmentally responsible way by providing free, postage-paid envelopes in 1,500 Post Offices. There is no limit to the number of envelopes customers may take.
Pet goods supplier PetSmart offers a recycling program that yields donations to help save homeless pets AND the environment.
The EPA provides a detailed list of manufacturers and retailers who will assist you in recycling e-waste. Check here for a store near you.
WHAT’S YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT?
 Whether you agree with global warming theories or not, you can’t deny that recycling e-waste and hazardous materials is a good thing. It’s a no-brainer; it just makes good sense. So now you’ve recycled your electronics and all e-waste. Don’t pat yourself on the back just yet. There’s more you can do to help the planet. Use this calculator to see just how much your activities impact the environment. This could be an eye-opener.
EARTH DAY
April 22 marks the 38th Annual Earth Day. It was the brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin. He was also a conservationist and began to push the concept of environmental responsibility in the early 1960s with the enthusiastic support of President John F. Kennedy. And all this time you thought this green stuff was recently made up by Al Gore.
 In 1969, Senator Nelson announced that in the Spring of 1970 there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment and invited everyone to participate. The idea began to spread throughout the media and the response was overwhelming. Since then, it has become an annual celebration of the environment and a time to assess the work still needed to protect the natural gifts of our planet. There are thousands of local events in schools and parks that mark the day. Earth Day is observed around the world.
There is no better time than this to take a moment and look around your home, business and office and assess what you might do to impact the environment in a positive way, no matter how small. Make it a family project. Sure, it’s easy to just toss those AA batteries in the trash, but consider designating a specific jar to collect them and once it’s full take it to your local recycler. Make sure the paper in your printer is made from recycled materials. Staples claims that in 2005, their sales of recycled content paper saved more than 1.6 million trees.
If we all pitch in and do our share, then hopefully we will leave the earth a better place than we found it. Here’s something fun to do on Earth Day, compliments of the Starbucks Coffee Company and Global Green USA – Planet Green Game – Share it with family and friends and see who gets the highest score. Then go out and put some of the tips into action. It really is easy to be green.
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