ABSTRACT
The level of consumption by a growing population in this world of finite resources and disposal capacities has been continuously increasing. This is fueled by the growing desire of consumers to acquire the latest technology, both at home and in the workplace, along with the rapid technological development of new products. As a result, the world now faces a serious environmental problem: waste, viz., used products that are discarded prematurely. For example, an estimated 60 million computers enter the market in the United States every year and more than 12 million computers are discarded every year, out of which fewer than 10% are reprocessed,* while the rest head to landfills [1]. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Municipal Solid Waste Fact Book, 29 states in the United States have 10 or more years of landfill space left, 15 states between 5 and 10 years, and 6 states fewer than 5 years [2]. Increased consumption results in increased use of raw material and energy, thereby depleting the world’s finite natural resources. The data [3, 4] presented in tables 1.1 and 1.2 give an idea about the materials and energy consumed in the manufacturing of microchips and LCD monitors, respectively. Apart from the excessive consumption of the world’s finite natural resources and disposal capacities, the presence of toxic material, such as lead, polybrominated diphenyl ether, mercury, and hexavalent chromium, in the discarded electronic equipment poses a serious threat to the environment. This environmental degradation is not sustainable by Earth’s ecosystem [6].
