E-Waste Facts and Figures
Dr. Battery has cooperated with Call2Recycle to become a
community drop-off location for local customers as part of our
environmental initiative. Please bring your obsolete batteries to
Dr. Battery and help us Green the Earth, one battery at a time.
Why RECYCLE?
Electronic devices are constantly being replaced as newer, faster, and smaller devices are
introduced to the market. As a result, many of us have obsolete devices lying around in the
house or being thrown in the household garbage cans. This implies that an unimaginable
amount of electronic waste is piling up in landfills worldwide which places an increasingly
serious toll on environmental pollution, climate change and resource depletion.
What is E-Waste?
Did You Know...
E-waste includes discarded, obsolete, broken, electrical or electronic devices,
in another words, they are used electronics including computers, TVs,
notebooks, cell phones and other electronic devices.
What are the Facts?
• E-waste is the fastest growing source of waste in North
America1
• 20 to 50 million tons of e-waste are generated worldwide
each year2
“
Recycling 82 million
tons of Municipal Solid
Waste saved the energy
equivalent of more than
10 billion gallons of
gasoline.
• 68% of consumers stockpile unwanted devices in homes3
• 5% of all municipal solid waste are comprised of obsolete
electronic goods4
“
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
November 20075
• In the United States alone, the total volumes of municipal
waste increased by only 1.2%, whereas e-waste increased by
8.6%5
• Only approximately 11% of e-waste is recycled6
1 Electronics Take Back Coalition. (2009). “Facts and Figures on E-Waste and Recycling.” Retrieved from
http://tvtake.3cdn.net/71f50939420282baa8_vtm6iik3s.pdf
2 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2006). “Basel Conference Addresses Electronic Wastes Challenge.” Retrieved from
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=485&ArticleID=5431&l=en
3 HP Fact Sheet. (2005). “Earth Day”. Retrieved from
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/environment/earthday-fs.pdf
4 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2006). “Basel Conference Addresses Electronic Wastes Challenge.” Retrieved from
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=485&ArticleID=5431&l=en
5 United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste (5306P) EPA-530-F-07-030. (2007). “Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United
States: Facts and Figures for 2006.” Retrieved Characterization Data Tables 12 – 14 from
Report: http://epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/msw06.pdf
Data tables: http://epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/06data.pdf
6 Ibid. Table 13, Pg 69. Note: See page 34 of report for definitions of generation and recovery.
Phone: (604) 273-8248 | Fax: (604) 909-1828
www.drbattery.com
Dr. Battery® | Unit 135-13900 Maycrest Way |
Richmond, BC, Canada V6V 3E2
E-Waste Facts and Figures
The Importance of Recycling...
The major environmental concern is that most electronic devices or equipments contain toxic substances. This means that any type
of battery sent to the landfill will eventually leak and be absorbed into our precious resources; thus disrupting the whole food chain
and drinking-water supply which will pose a significant risk to both human health and the environment. The most hazardous toxins
include lead, cadmium and mercury; however, other materials such as aluminum, copper, zinc and ferrous metals can also be found in
rechargeable batteries. Furthermore, the environmental cost of manufacturing computers and other electronic goods is significantly
higher than the cost of producing average household materials as more resources are consumed. A study conducted by the United Nations found that the “manufacturing of a computer and its screen takes at least 240kg of fossil fuels, 22kg of chemicals and 1.5 tonnes
of water which is equivalent to more than the weight of a rhinoceros or a car.”7 As the need for more sophisticated and constantly
evolving devices continue to grow, the environmental baggage is also escalating at an unparalleled pace.
Please join us and make a commitment to help decrease the environmental footprints by dropping your used,
unwanted notebook batteries, digital camera batteries, and camcorder batteries off at Dr. Battery.
Which Batteries are Accepted?
Rechargeable batteries for the following products are accepted at Dr. Battery:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Notebook Batteries
Cell Phone Batteries
Digital Camera Batteries
Camcorder Batteries
Power-Tool Batteries
Cordless Phone Batteries
Cordless Toy Batteries
iPod Batteries
Where can I Drop off Old Batteries for Recycling?
Obsolete rechargeable batteries can be dropped off at the pick-up location of Dr. Battery located at the rear entrance.
Dr. Battery
135-13900 Maycrest Way
Richmond BC V6V 3E2
7 Environment Alert Bulletin, United Nations Environment Programme. (2005). “E-waste, the Hidden Side of IT Equipment’s Manufacturing and Use”. Retrieved from
http://www.grid.unep.ch/product/publication/download/ew_ewaste.en.pdf
Williams, E & Kuehr, R. Editors, United Nations University. (2003). Quoted from “Computers and the Environment and Understanding and Managing Their Impact.”
Phone: (604) 273-8248 | Fax: (604) 909-1828
www.drbattery.com
Dr. Battery® | Unit 135-13900 Maycrest Way |
Richmond, BC, Canada V6V 3E2