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Flow Research For Reuse Electronic Materials
Citation:
Glaser, J., E. Sahle-Demessie, T. Richardson, AND C. Lee. Flow Research For Reuse Electronic Materials. E-Scrap 2018, New Orleans, LA, October 09 - 11, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
This research is targeted to developiing an understanding of the movement(flow) of used electronic materials in the 50 states. Componets of this material flow are toxic and represent a health threat to humans. The research has developed a tool to evaluate the movement of elctronic materials on a state basis for a fixed periood typically 1 year. The tool can be used to conduct trend analysis across multiple years and offers the ability to intercompare one state to another. State regulatory authorities, health authorities and the general public may have greatused for this analytical capability.
Description:
The improper disposal of e-waste has environmental, economic, and social impacts, both domestically and internationally. The primary goal of this research is to provide a “tool” enabling the assessment of the flow for historic, current, and potential future used electronics and electronic waste at a US national level. Quantity and variety of discarded electronic items in the US continue to increase due in part to the accelerated declining average life cycle for such materials. Combinations of hazardous materials, toxic materials, and valuable elements such as precious metals and rare earth elements can be found in electronic products. Disposal of used electronics has significant attendant human health risks. Presently, incomplete information for electronics products across their lifecycle dominates the information landscape. Sustainable management of this highly waste/reuse stream material calls for a more comprehensive understanding of material flows