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Electronic Stewardship

   

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Electronics

EPA's goal is to promote greater electronics product stewardship. Product stewardship means that all who make, distribute, use, and dispose of products share responsibility for reducing the environmental impact of those products. EPA intends to work towards this goal in a number of ways:

  1. Foster a life-cycle approach to product stewardship, including environmentally conscious design, manufacturing, and toxics reduction for new electronic products.
  2. Extend the useful life of electronics by upgrading components (rather than automatic replacement);
  3. Increase reuse and recycling of used electronics;
  4. Ensure that management of old electronics is safe and environmentally sound; and
  5. Reduce the energy footprint of electronic equipment by purchasing EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) registered products and enabling energy saving features in operations.

Electronic, or e-waste, refers to electronic products being discarded by consumers. These include a wide range of items, such as:

  • Televisions and computer monitors
  • Computers and computer peripherals (e.g., monitors and keyboards)
  • Audio and stereo equipment
  • VCRs and DVD players
  • Video cameras
  • Telephones, cellular phones and other wireless devices
  • Fax and copy machines
  • Video game consoles

Chromium

Computer monitors and older TV picture tubes contain an average of four pounds of lead and require special handling at the end of their lives. In addition to lead, electronics can contain chromium, cadmium, mercury, beryllium, nickel, zinc, and brominated flame retardants. When electronics are not disposed of or recycled properly, these toxic materials can present problems. Extending the life of your electronics or donating your most up-to-date and working electronics can save you money and saves valuable resources. Safely recycling outdated electronics can promote the safe management of hazardous components and supports the recovery and reuse of valuable materials.

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