E-waste is not only huge, but also harmful. If it is not handled properly, it will cause serious harm to people and the environment. In particular, TV, computers, mobile phones, stereos and other products contain a lot of toxic and harmful substances. Waste household appliances mainly contain six harmful substances: lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PVC plastics and brominated flame retardants. Television cathode ray tubes, solder on printed circuit boards and plastic casings are all toxic substances. The cathode ray tube of a TV set contains 4 to 8 pounds of lead. It takes more than 700 kinds of chemical raw materials to make a computer, including more than 300 kinds of chemicals harmful to human beings. The average lead content of computer monitors exceeds 1 kg. Lead can damage people's nerves, blood system and kidneys. Computer batteries and switches contain chromium compounds and mercury, which can cause asthma through skin and cell infiltration; Mercury will destroy the brain nerves; Chromium, mercury and other elements in the chassis and disk drive have great damage to the DNA of human cells and brain tissue. If these electronic wastes are discarded or buried at will, a large number of harmful substances will seep into the ground, causing serious pollution of groundwater; If burned, it will release a lot of toxic gases and cause air pollution.
Electronic waste is a big problem that puzzles the global environment. Especially in developed countries, due to the rapid upgrading of electronic products, electronic waste is generated faster. According to statistics, Germany produces 6.5438+0.8 million tons of electronic waste every year, France 6.5438+0.5 million tons, and the whole of Europe is about 6 million tons. The United States is even more amazing, and it will soon eliminate 300 million to 600 million computers. Since 2002, China has entered the peak period of electronic products scrapping, and the amount of electronic waste has increased day by day since then.
France The French government is drafting relevant laws and regulations, and plans to launch a nationwide e-waste recycling method in August 2005. E-waste recycling follows the principle of "whoever produces, sells, uses and bears the relevant environmental protection costs". According to this law, from August 13, 2005, all newly manufactured electrical appliances, from computers, televisions, refrigerators, washing machines to telephones and hair dryers, will be marked with a small trash can, indicating that they can be recycled at the end of their lives. Electronic product manufacturers will be the main force of recycling and bear the future recycling costs of their products.
As early as the early 1990s, the United States made some mandatory regulations on the disposal of used household appliances. The authorities have also intervened in the procurement behavior of governments at all levels to ensure that products containing renewable ingredients take priority in government procurement and promote the recycling of waste, including used household appliances.
For example, in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, landfill and incineration taxes are levied to promote the recycling of waste by related enterprises. The collection of landfill and incineration tax makes the cheapest way of garbage disposal tend to rise, which greatly increases the attraction of recycling used household appliances. Massachusetts prohibits private individuals from throwing computer monitors, televisions and other electronic products into landfills or incinerators.
The significance of recycling in Germany lies in reducing pollution and saving energy. This is the guiding ideology of recycling old electrical appliances in Germany. The institutions responsible for recycling old electrical appliances in Germany are all municipal enterprises directly under the urban area. It provides convenience for people to recycle waste electrical appliances through various channels and ensures the smooth recycling of waste electrical appliances. In addition, the most important principle in Germany's environmental protection policy, polluter is responsible, is also an important principle to control e-waste. According to this principle, producers have the main responsibility, and importers and consumers also have corresponding responsibilities.
Japan and Japan have enacted the Law of Household Appliances Recycling, which came into effect in April of 1 year, 200 1. According to this law, household appliance manufacturers must undertake the obligation of recycling used household appliances. Household appliance sellers have the obligation to recycle waste household appliances and send them to production enterprises for reuse. Consumers also have some obligations to deal with and reuse household appliances.