According to the Electronics TakeBack Campaign the United States trashed 1,970,000 tons of electronic waste in 2000, by 2005 that number had increased to 2,300,000 tons. In 2000 only 190,000 tons of electronic waste was recycled. By 2005 that number had increased to 330,000.
The following information was taken from the Electronics TakeBack Coalition Facts and Figures on E-Waste and Recycling
- Over one billion cell phones sold worldwide in 2006
- 130,000,000 cell phones are retired each year
- 22 million of the 269 million personal computers sold in 2007 were sold in the United states
- 1.7 million televisions purchased for the 2006 Superbowl
- 2.5 million televisions purchased for the 2007 Superbowl
An average of 400 million units of e-waste are scrapped each year. What do these numbers mean?
- In 2005 the United States generated 2.6 million tons of e-waste
- Only 12.6% of that e-waste was recycled
- 133,000 personal computers are discarded every day in the United States
Technology - at what price? 
Hey, this is an really interesting topic, i will definatly be contacting Basil when its time to get rid of my electronics. I was wondering if you think that electronics will ever reach the point of “diminishing returns”, human brains are only so fast, and if this may decrease production??
By: katie neis on May 1, 2008
at 4:57 pm