How big of a problem is e-waste anyway?
e-waste is the fastest growing part of our waste stream. With an average lifetime of a personal computer (PC) being 5 years, the National Safety Council estimated approximately 41 million computers became outdated in 2004, and 63 million additional computers were obsolete in 2005. Researchers estimated that 75% of these obsolete computers are currently stored and will reach a total of 500 million by 2007. The population of the U.S. about 301 million– that means there are almost twice as many old computers in the US as there are people! All those old computers will eventually require disposal.
