Green Chemistry vs Toxic Technology

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Green Chemistry vs Toxic Technology

The Problem With Electronics

Toxic Materials in Electronic Products

Over 1,000 materials, including chlorinated solvents, brominated flame retardants, PVC, heavy metals, plastics and gases, are used to make electronic products and their components—semiconductor chips, circuit boards, display panels, and disk drives.

A Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitor can contains between four and eight pounds of lead alone. Big screen tube TVs contain even more than that. Flat panel TVs and monitors contain less lead, but many use mercury lamps. About 40% of the heavy metals in landfills, including lead, mercury and cadmium, comes from electronic equipment discards. Indium is being used increasingly in semiconductor industry. Nanomaterials are being used in many products including some electronics, although the health and safety impacts of  nanomaterials have barely been studied.

Where’s the Harm – Toxics Across The Product Lifecycle

These chemicals or materials can cause harm to workers and communities at any stage of  the product lifecycle. Click on any phase of the lifecycle to see the details.

What Are The Health Risks?

Lead – The health effects of lead are well known; lead exposure causes brain damage in children and has already been banned from many consumer products.

Mercury  -Mercury is toxic in very low doses, and causes brain and kidney damage. It can be passed on through breast milk; just 1/70th of a teaspoon of mercury can contaminate 20 acres of a lake, making the fish unfit to eat.

Cadmium – Cadmium accumulates in the human body and poisons the kidneys.

BFRs – Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) may seriously affect hormonal functions critical for normal development. Arecent study of dust on computers in workplaces and homes found BFRs in every sample taken. One group of BFRs, PBDEs, has been found in alarming rates in the breast milk of women in Sweden and the U.S.

Additional Information:

• 2004 Poison PCs/Toxic TVs – Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition
• The Fire Retardant Dilemma – Green Science Policy Inst.

What is  Green Chemistry?

Green Chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. So instead of focusing on managing the impacts of the hazards in chemicals,  a green chemist would develop safer chemicals and processes which don’t use or create those hazardous materials. Learn more about green chemistry.

source: http://www.electronicstakeback.com/toxics-in-electronics/

Steven Rodrig

If you have love for circuit board, you should remember Steven Rodrig. He’s an innovative artist who restructures discarded circuit boards and electronic parts to form extraordinary arts which are organic and mechanical at the same time. Without a doubt, he’s a professional geek.

Data Transfer. (Image Source: PCB Creations)

Data Spider’s Kingdom. (Image Source: PCB Creations)

Sea Turtle Searches Deep Data. (Image Source: PCB Creations)

there is another video:

this video show us why we have to recycle

THERE IS OTHER AND FOLLOW THEM:

 HERE IS ONE VIDEO:

recycle on your doorstep

Nine out of ten of us have kerbside collection schemes, so if you don't already have a recycling box or bag provided by your local council, it's worth you calling them up and checking that you haven't been missed out!

TIP: Keep your recycling bin next to the main bin so you can take out the rubbish and recycling at the same time

find out what you can recycled

Different councils collect different materials although most collect cans, glass and paper.

Enter your postcode to see what you can recycle from home and where your nearest recycling drop off point is...

 

Or visit the websites for
London | Scotland | Wales

TIP: Make recycling part of your weekly supermarket trip and "drop when you shop" at supermarket recycling centres

sort your rubbish

Now that you know what items you can recycle, find a handy place to store them. Make sure you encourage everyone in your house to think whether items can be reused or recycled before they're thrown away.

TIP: Some things need to be washed before you put them out for recycling - use your old washing up water to give them a quick rinse

check the date

Find out from your council what day your recycling will be collected. In some areas recyling is collected every week and in others it's collected fortnightly.

TIP: Mark the date on the calendar or request a recycling calendar from your council

from: http://www.recyclenow.com/what_can_i_do_today/start_recycling_at_1.html

Andrew Chase

Andrew Chase by the Chase studio is a photographer and one of the few artists who has the talent to form an epic dinosaur with mere metals. His metal sculptures also include elephant, cheetah, bear, etc.

Dinosaur. (Image Source: Chase Studio)

Elephant. (Image Source: Chase Studio)

Cheetah. (Image Source: Chase Studio)

from:http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/recycled-art-masterpiece-made-from-junks/

BRC Designs

‘BRC’ stands for Benjamin Rollins Caldwell, founder of the BRC Designs who reforms timeless and unconventional materials into simple yet unique furniture which design surpasses most expensive furniture.

Binary Low Table. (Image Source: BRC Designs)

Korobeiniki Chair. (Image Source: BRC Designs)

Protrusion Low Table. (Image Source: BRC Designs)

from: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/recycled-art-masterpiece-made-from-junks/

IN THIS INTERACTIVE APLICATION YOU CAN LEARN MUCH ABOUT RECYCLING

SOURCE: http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/mainmap.htm

There is another game:

http://funschool.kaboose.com/globe-rider/earth-day/games/game_michael_recycle.html

BATTERIES

Did you know that each year in the UK we throw away about 620 million batteries? Laid end to end these batteries would reach from the UK to Australia and back again. That is a lot of batteries!!

Batteries can be found in every room in the house. They're used in toys, remote controls, mobile phones, alarm clocks and even doorbells. In fact, every person in Britain uses about 10 batteries a year!

Why do we need to recycle batteries?

Most batteries are put into rubbish bins and then taken to landfill sites. There are lots of types of batteries, which can contain dangerous chemicals. (Including lead, cadmium, zinc, lithium and even mercury)

When batteries begin to rot away in landfill sites these chemicals may leak into the ground which can cause soil and water pollution. This can be harmful to animals, humans and the environment.

Recycling is a great way to help protect the environment. Each battery placed in the recycling bin will be taken apart and the materials will be used to make something new.

SOURCE: http://www.recycle-more.co.uk/page2173.aspx

THERE ARE SOME GAMES ABOUT RECYCLING


http://www.recycle-more.co.uk/nav/page570.aspx#


YOU CAN PLAY IS FREE!+

HOW TO RECICLATE GLASS

- glass is recycled according to color: clear, green and brown. Recycling centers prefer it when glass is separated this way. Collectively, these types of glass are referred to as "container" glass, and widely accepted for recycling.
- paper labels can be left on the glass.
- store lightbulbs, sheet glass, mirrors and pyrex separately from bottles, since they have a different composition and melting points, and not accepted by many recycling centers.
- compact flourescent lightbulbs (CFLs) may be recycled at your local IKEA store.



HOW TO RECICLATE ALUMINUM, STEEL AND COOPER

- food cans should be rinsed and have lids and labels removed. It helps if they are flattened, although many new cans are difficult to flatten; they should still be recycled.
- aluminum cans are very valuable as recyclable items. Many recycling centers request they be not crushed flat. Check locally.
- aluminum foil and foil packaging are also important to recycle; they are reprocessed into aluminum mechanical components, such as engine parts.
- paint cans, aerosol cans are recyclable, but are considered hazardous waste and need to be kept separate from other metals. It is important to leave labels on these cans, as recyclers need to know the former contents. Try to return the lids along with empty paint cans.
- copper is one of the most recycled and recyclable of metals. In fact, copper is 100 percent recyclable, as are all its alloys, such as bronze and brass. The recycling of copper requires only 15% of the total energy otherwise consumed in mining, milling, smelting and refining.


SOURCE: http://eartheasy.com/live_recycling.htm

HOW TO RECICLATE PLASTIC

Plastic does not break down in landfills, and since It can be recycled to make many diverse products, effort should be made to recycle all plastic waste. To make best use of plastics, consumers should choose the types of plastics which lend themselves most to reuse and recycling options. To learn about the recycling options for different types of plastic, read our article Plastics by the Numbers.

Recycling centers vary in the types of plastic they accept. Check with your local recycling center, and take care to buy plastic goods which are recyclable.
- plastic goods are assigned different numbers to grade them for recycling:
#1 (PET) and #2 (HDPE) for containers, #4 (LDPE) for bags, #7 for mixed plastics such as polycarbonates that are not recyclable. Almost all recycling centers accept plastics #1 and 2.
- plastic bottles are usually made of #1 PET plastic, a valuable recyclable material. Among many other items, this plastic can be "spun' into fleece fabric. Tops should be removed before recycling, and put in with your general plastic items. Polycarbonate baby bottles (#7 plastic) are not recycleable.
- because it is difficult to clean PET plastic without releasing harmful chemicals, bottles made of PET should not be reused.
- plastic grocery bags - most grocery bags are made of high density polyethylene, a Type 2 recyclable plastic. Most grocery stores have bins outside so customers can drop off used plastic bags for recycling.
- polystyrene (#6) (cups, food trays, egg cartons, etc) does not biodegrade. Ask if your recycling center accepts polystyrene for recycling; many now accept this material. Try to reduce your use of this material.


SOURCE: http://eartheasy.com/live_recycling.htm

HOW TO RECICLATE PAPER AND CARDBOARDS

- newspapers should be saved in its own bin, as this material goes directly back into newsprint recycling. Recycling a four-foot stack of newspapers saves the equivalent of one 40-foot fir tree.
- magazines, glossy printed flyers or newspaper inserts, phone books, envelopes, computer paper, old letters, and paper packaging can be saved together in one bin.
- Staples in paper are acceptable, but remove rubber bands or plastic wrap.
- Do not include the following in your paper recycling: carbon paper, stickers, cardboard, laminated paper, laminated cardboard.
- plastic-lined paper drink cartons are recyclable. Most recycling centers now accept these items; ask locally.
- Discard fast food wrappers made from plastic, dirty or food-stained paper tissues or napkins.
- corrugated cardboard is a highly valued recyclable. Most curbside collectors ask you to bale the cardboard together and tie it with string. Check to see if there are size and weight limits to how much you are allowed to bale together. The most important thing to remember is to keep it dry. Plastic or waxy coated, and wet or greasy cardboard, such as pizza boxes, cannot be recycled because it clogs sorting machines. 


SOURCE: http://eartheasy.com/live_recycling.htm