Welcome to pcsforpeople.org! We are part of a global movement of millions of people committed to making a positive impact in the world through electronic waste pickup. Our website presents 11 critical facts, with sources at the bottom of the page. We encourage you to take action and be a part of the solution. Join us today and help create a better world for us all.
- In 2009, about 2.37 million tons of TVs, computers, peripherals (including printers, scanners, fax machines), mice, keyboards, and mobile phones were discarded.
- E-waste makes up 2% of the waste in America’s landfills but 70% of the total toxic waste.
- 20-50 million tons of e-waste are discarded yearly without proper disposal methods. This harms the environment and creates health hazards.
- Americans waste over $60m of these metals every year. Much of “e-waste” is still useful as equipment or parts that can be recycled.
- Just 12.5% of e-waste is recycled presently.
- Recycling 1 million cell phones can recover 35,274 lbs of copper, 772 lbs of silver, 75 lbs of gold, and 33 lbs of palladium. We can conserve a staggering amount of precious metals by recycling our e-waste.
- Recycling 1 million laptops can save energy equivalent to what’s used by 3,657 American homes in a year. It’s an enormous amount of energy that we can conserve by recycling our e-waste.
- According to the EPA, E-waste is the fastest-growing municipal waste stream in the US.
- Manufacturing one computer and monitor requires 530 lbs of fossil fuel, 48 lbs of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water.
- Hazardous electronic items include CRT TVs and monitors, LCD and plasma TVs and monitors, and portable DVD players with LCD screens. Dispose of them safely to prevent harm to the environment and ourselves.
It’s our responsibility to dispose of electronic waste sustainably. Let’s take action to recycle and properly dispose of our e-waste to protect the environment and conserve valuable resources.
