Why Do Computer Monitors Need to Be Recycled?
All computer monitors contain a number of chemicals that are hazardous to the environment if they are not recycled properly. Almost all electronic devices contain varying levels of lead, which is used to solder the individual components. Lead is a toxic metal that accumulates in living organisms over a lifetime with increasingly devastating effects. Older style CRT "glass tube" monitors can contain up to 27 percent of their total weight in lead. Additionally, the glass tube itself is coated internally with phosphorous, which is also toxic. LCD screens contain trace amounts of mercury, among other toxic chemicals.
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CRT Monitors
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The older CRT monitors contain a nasty mix of poisonous chemicals, including barium, brominated flame retardants, cadmium, copper, hexavalent chromium/chromium VI, lead, mercury, phosphor and, to a lesser extent, the plastics that are used in the outside case. To varying degrees, all of the above chemicals present a hazard when introduced to a landfill if these chemicals leech into the ground water.
LCD Screens
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The newer LCD screens still contain both lead and copper, with many using trace amounts of mercury in the tubes that provide the back-lighting. The latest generation of LCD screens are working to remove that risk by using LEDs to back light the screen, but while these improvements are notable, the risk to the ground water from the remaining chemical (should these devices be introduced to a conventional landfill) is still unacceptable.
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Improper Disposal
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The Utah Department of Environmental Quality estimated that more than 300 million computers would be disposed of in U.S. landfills by the end of 2004. In this report, it was estimated that "1.2 billion pounds of lead, 2 million pounds of cadmium, 1.2 million pounds of hexavalent chromium, and 400,000 pounds of mercury" would potentially be introduced to the environment.
Recycling Benefits
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Aside from the benefit of reducing or eliminating toxins from being introduced into the earth, recycling these materials makes good economic sense. Lead and copper can be reused, while plastics can either be recycled or used to produce energy.
Recycling Regulations
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Over the past few years, California, Massachusetts and Minnesota have enacted laws that prohibit the disposal of monitors in landfills. The EPA has also weighed in on this issue and is charged with enforcing federal guidelines that explicitly detail how CRT monitors will be disposed of, including the regulations that oversee export of this material. California has also instituted a recycling fee for electronic devices that provides for a deposit to be paid at the time of purchase to offset the disposal cost when the product has reached its end of serviceable life.
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