Solid Waste in New England
Electronic Waste and eCycling
2009 Northeast Forum on Climate and Waste Connections
To help communities integrate waste reduction and recycling into their climate plans, EPA Regions 1 and 2 hosted a series of web-based discussions on materials management and the climate connection. Featuring national experts and practitioners, audio recordings (as mp3 files) and powerpoint slides (as pdf files) from the three programs are available. More»
Cell phones and accessories are made from valuable resources such as precious metals, copper, and plastics - all of which require energy to extract and manufacture. Recycling cell phones reduces greenhouse gas emissions, keeps valuable material out of landfills and incinerators, and conserves natural resources.
National Information
Electronic waste, or e-waste, refers to electronic products that are 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
While various reports estimate that electronic waste is less than 4% of the total solid waste stream in the United States (eCycling FAQs), electronic waste is growing 2-3 times faster than any other waste stream (i.e. paper, yard waste). In 1998, of the 20 million computers taken out of service, only 2.3 million (slightly more than 10%), were recycled or eCycled. And most of those were from large businesses and institutions.
Between 2000 and 2007, as many as 500 million personal computers
will become obsolete and enter the municipal solid waste stream.
In response, both Massachusetts and Maine have passed laws regulating
e-waste management. In 2003, more than 330 New England municipalities
had e-cycling programs - approximately 90% of these were located
in Massachusetts (National
Electronics Recycling Program data 
)
For more information on electronic waste reuse and recycling in New England:
If you have questions about Electronic Waste, please contact:
Christine Beling (beling.christine@epa.gov)
EPA New England (SPP)
5 Post Office Square, Suite 100
Mailcode: OES04-1
Boston, MA 02109-3912
Phone: (617) 918-1792