Electronic Waste - The forgotten challenge

E- Waste, also known as electronic waste, e-scrap and end of life electronics are terms used to describe electronics that are near their end of life or utility, no longer useful or outdated, or discarded.  The Unites States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an independent agency recognize the utility of re-use of these materials through, repairing, refurbishing, recycling and reusing. In 2019, the value of disposed e-waste was estimated at 60 billion in 2019. Surprisingly, only 15% of e-waste is being recycled.  E-waste dumping is also an issue just as plastic dumping is. Only half the states in the Union have e-waste laws.  Most of them adopt a producer responsibility approach which is when the manufacturer pays for recycling. Only 65% of America’s population is covered by e-waste recycling law.