Don't Be Duped by E-Cycling Scams

Re: EarthEcycle's Viewpoint

Mr. Nixon, indicates a "small percentage is truly waste". That is not the case at all. In fact, only a small percentage in infact reusable - without extensive and expensive work.

I am refering directly to the materials acquired through E-Waste Recycling events. These events are generally almost 90% unusable items. They are not the items Mr. Nixon implies in his commments regarding the range of values - "up to $12,000".

At E-Waste events, 50% of the items collected are generally old CRT devices (computer monitors, TVs) . Of the remaining 50%, those items are a mix of everything from vacuum cleaners, stereo, VCR, DVD player, printers, fax/scanner, and a variety of desktop computers. A very small percentage will be a variety of laptops - no consistency for reuse - say in a classroom or business - or for any significant recovery value.

Most of these items average 5 years old - minimum, and are not working. While it can be argued that some of the CRT devices, desktops and laptops can be refurbished equitably, there is not generally more than a few devices that are the same.

This results in most of the devices ending up in a developing country, where some are fixed for reuse, but the rest are "recycled", with disatrous effects on the environment.

The "$12,000 an item" price tag is a very rare occurance and would likely occur only where a recycler is under contract with a company housing very large data center servers. This would not occur at a collection event.

A clear indication this company may sell material to the highest bidder regardless of the environmental repercussions is evidenced by the "Pictures of Inventory" page on their website.

I cannot recommend any validity to the page "Where ewaste goes" on their website. For example; "What happens to leaded glass" is completely wrong and misinformation. Doe Run, in Missouri - Oklahoma's neighbor, is a leading lead mining, smelting and refining company. Lead is easily liberated from glass (which becomes a flux) in a lead smelting and refining operation - right here in the USA!

Of course rarely does a recycler state they intend to send stuff to a landfill, sell or ship directly overseas... Most are selling items to brokers in the US who claim to be reusing all the devices for a variety of reasons. Also bear in mind, many developing countries do not operate landfills. These items are merely stockpiled in fields - so in truth they are not infact ending up in a landfill! It's much worse than that.

ewastexpert of OH @ Jun 01, 2009 16:32:44 PM