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Home , Electronic waste

Issue: Disposal of electronic (e-waste)

Description: Electronic waste, e-, or waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is defined as discarded, surplus, obsolete, broken, electrical, or electronic devices. The risk of e-waste lies in potential exposure to toxic metals (e.g. , , , , and ), halogenated compounds such as PCBs, radio-active substances, and () from toner cartridges.

What is the risk to Wichita’s:

Environment: Improper disposal of electronic waste may cause problems because electronic equipment contains toxic contaminants that can cause water and and are of particular concern when disposed of in .

Health: Exposure to toxic metals can cause serious health problems. Toxic metal exposure has been implicated in cancers, reproductive, and behavioral diseases.

Economics: The cost of cleaning up contaminated waste sites, picking up illegally dumped e-waste, and the medical health care costs of treating those with exposures can be significant. A one-time e-waste event held on January 24, 2009 collected 1.1 million pounds of e-waste at a cost (to Sedgwick County government) of $92,000 dollars.

The Risk in Wichita For those individual who currently want to properly dispose of e-waste, there is no efficient readily available resource for environmentally friendly disposal. A convenient and comprehensive system of e-waste disposal does not exist in Wichita.

Solutions:

Individuals  Recycle, re-use, and reduce e-waste.

Communities  Establish a more comprehensive local program to promote recycling of e-waste.  Become aware of the businesses that accept e-waste.  Develop a consumer campaign to increase the number of electronic devices collected and safely recycled.

Policies  During the revision of the local solid plan, attention must be given to include e-waste recycling as part of the plan.  Develop legislation to require e-waste be collected and processed separately from solid waste.  Urge electronics manufacturers and vendors responsible for environmentally-friendly disposal of their products.