Waste in the United States
As a nation, Americans generate more waste than any other nation in the world, officially with 4.4 pounds (2.0 kg) of municipal solid waste (MSW) per person per day,[1] with another study estimating 7.1 pounds (3.2 kg) per capita per day.[2] Fifty five percent of this waste is contributed as residential garbage, while the remaining forty five percent of waste in the U.S.'s 'waste stream' comes from manufacturing, retailing, and commercial trade in the U.S. economy.[3] According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, Nevada produces the most waste at "[nearly] 8 pounds (3.6 kg) per person per day".[4] Approximately 90% of all waste produced by Nevadans ends up in landfills. "Wasteful" states Michigan, New Mexico, Wisconsin and Oregon as well as Washington also dominated the list's 5-year period.[5]
Definitions
Waste may be defined differently in legislation and regulations of the federal government or individual states.
Electronic waste
Electronic waste has become an ever-growing problem in the United States. Each year, over 3.2 million tons of electronic waste is put in US landfills.[7] A large portion of this electronic waste is computers, monitors, and televisions. Over 100 million computers, monitors, and televisions are disposed of yearly in the U.S.[8] Although there is an enormous amount of electronic waste in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency found that in 2009 approximately only about 25% of all electronic waste is recycled in the United States.[9] About 70% of metals that are found in the United States landfills come from electronic devices.[10] The disposure of all this electronic waste has a detrimental effect on the environment, as well as the global economy.
Environmental effects
Electronic waste has become serious issue for the environmental stability in the United States. Over the years, the government has become increasingly more involved in this issue. As described in the U.S.
From fluorescent light bulbs to common household batteries, every piece of electronic waste that is found in landfills contains some kind of metal. One of the most commonly used metals in electronic waste is lead.[12] Lead is found in most batteries, in the form of lead-acid, and it is also found in CRTs (cathode ray tube). These tubes are primarily used in television screens, as well as computer monitors. Since so many televisions, computer monitors, and batteries are place into landfills that means that most landfills have a large amount of lead in them, which is dangerous to the local environment. This is because the lead, like most hazardous materials that are in landfills, can be absorbed into the soil and ground water.[13] Being exposed to a high level of lead can cause various health issues such as blood and brain disorders, comas, and in serious cases even death.[12] Lead is not the only hazardous metal in U.S. landfills. For example, mercury, beryllium, and chromium are just some of the other metals that are in our landfills that are extremely hazardous to the environment, as well as to human health.
Trade
Recycling is not the only issue surrounding electronic waste’s effects. The economy and trade of raw materials also plays a significant role in the economic issue of electronic waste. In the online journal Chemosphere, Jeffrey D. Weidenhamer and Michael L. Clement claim in their article, “Leaded Electronic Waste is a Possible Source Material for Lead-contaminated Jewelry” that the majority of electronic waste, which is produced in the United States, is
After being shipped overseas to China, the electronic waste is then stripped of parts in small Chinese workshops.
See also
- Hazardous waste in the United States
- Recycling in the United States
- San Francisco Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance
- Waste by country
- International Waste#United States
References
- ^ EPA Fact Sheet, 2012
- ^ Humes, E. (2012) Garbology: Our dirty love affair with trash. Avery, 264 pp.
- ^ Reuters March 2008, Cashing in on Climate Change, IBISWorld
- ^ ASCE Report Card, 2018
- ^ "America's Top 10 Most Wasteful States". www.thegreenmarketoracle.com. August 21, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ISBN 0-471-11995-4
- ^ "Recycling for dollars". Technology & Learning. 32 (6): 12. January 2012.
- ^ PMID 17532022.
- ^ a b "Electronics Waste Management in the United States Through 2009". Retrieved April 2, 2012.
- ^ Kozlan, Melanie (August 26, 2020). "What is 'E-Waste' & How Can I Get Rid Of It?!". Retrieved April 3, 2012.
- ISBN 9780195351682.
- ^ a b "Hazardous Substances in e-Waste". November 19, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
- ^ Adrian, Stephanie. "Cleaning Up Electronic Waste". Retrieved April 25, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 9781437909890.
External links
- Waste at the EPA
- Municipal Solid Waste at the EPA
- US Trash Collection Database | Trashdb.com