You are here:
A Tool to Evaluate Used Electronic Flows for the United States
Citation:
Glaser, John A., E. Sahle-Demessie, T. Richardson, Chun C. Lee, C. Northeim, J. Petrusa, J. Larson, AND M. McGrath. A Tool to Evaluate Used Electronic Flows for the United States. 258th ACS National Meeting, San Diego, CA, August 25 - 29, 2019.
Impact/Purpose:
This research endeavors to construct an analytical tool to enable a wide range of interested parties to conduct evaluations of resource management performance of used electronic materials. These used materials can be contaminated with a variety of pollutants that are toxic to human health and the environment. The tool will permit the user to consider changes to the used electronics management system. Identification of undesirable conditions important to human health and the environment offers the opportunity to opt for alternative conditions supportive of human health and the environment.
Description:
A mounting stream of used electronics requiring appropriate management at the time of disposal continues to develop as part of current consumer electronics consumption and short lifespans for the commercial electronic devices. An average American owns extensive electronic components per household leading to an annual E-waste estimated at 1.8 M metric tons for 2015 which partially accounts for the massive flow of electronic materials. Comprehensive data for estimating the flow of used electronics is unavailable. USEPA is developing a tool for the assessment of quantity and flow of used electronics on a state basis. The model supporting the tool is designed to produce national-, regional-, and state-level data on the annual quantity of electronic products entering end-of-life management based on unit sales data in combination with estimates of years of useful life and average product weights. The flow model employs a combination of top-down data sources and bottom-up assumptions to track the generation of e-waste by state and estimate the material flows from generation to collection. This method uses a market supply method to calculate the amount of e-waste generated and that considers reuse, recycling, export, and disposal (landfilling). Assumptions regarding product life spans (including reuse), recycling, storage, and disposal are used to reflect consumer behavior in the disposition of used electronic devices. The tool applies Weibull distributions to characterize product lifetimes. Model predictions will be compared with selected state collection data. This tool can be used for planning sustainable material management at state level that could lead to a circular economy.