By Marie Joanis
Madison Magazine
Special To Channel 3000

Apple's latest must-have gadget. Motorola's newer, sleeker cell phone. A giant flat-screen TV.

It's hard to resist the allure of an electronics upgrade. One problem with technophilia: what to do with old electronics. Tossing them in the landfill wastes valuable materials that could have been reused, and exposure to the hazardous metals and chemicals in electronics could be harmful--even fatal. Only nine states have passed legislation concerning the recycling of discarded electronics, or "e-waste." It's a growing problem that only appears to be getting worse.

"Our landfills have limited capacity," says state Senator Mark Miller (D-Monona), a proponent of e-waste legislation. "There's no reason to put toxic or valuable material in the landfill when it could be reused."

Wisconsinites own 3.8 million computers, 7.5 million TVs and 3.5 million cell phones, according to a 2006 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources survey. The numbers continue to jump when the electronics owned by businesses and institutions are factored in. Meanwhile, 15,000-25,000 computers are discarded annually in Dane County alone, according to an estimate by the Dane County Department of Public Works, Highway and Transportation.

Throwing electronics into the landfill can waste valuable materials like gold and silver that could have been reused to make new electronics. In addition, when not recycled properly, computers, TVs and other electronics can leak hazardous waste into the ground like lead, mercury, cadmium and chemical flame retardants, according to the Wisconsin DNR. Workers improperly handling discarded electronics are at risk of potentially serious health problems including cancer.

"This risk is heightened due to the increasing number of electronics in our society and the short lifespans of many electronics due to changes in technology and consumer preferences," the Wisconsin DNR website explains. The national switch in February 2009 to exclusively digital TV is expected to cause a spike in the volume of discarded TVs, making it all the more urgent to establish a system for recycling, not trashing, electronics.

To read the rest of the article, click here: E-Waste: Afterlife of Old Electronics