Electronic Waste: A Reference Handbook

The United Nations has reported that the world is on track to produce over 180 billion pounds of electronic waste (e-waste) by 2030. This tidal wave of discarded electronic products, including cellular phones, laptop and desktop computers, televisions, solar panels, major household appliances, and telecommunications equipment, poses a host of serious environmental and public health problems and challenges. Electronic Waste: A Reference Handbook provides readers with an illuminating survey of the myriad issues and controversies surrounding the collection, treatment, disposal, and recycling of electric and electronic products, including trends and challenges related to public health, social justice, and environmental protection and stewardship. It also discusses ways in which increasingly electronics-dependent societies and economies are factoring environmental, social, and public health considerations into their e-waste mitigation, recycling, and disposal strategies. The book is further supplemented with perspectives from experts in the field of electronic waste, profiles of important organizations and agencies, and a chronology of major events and developments.