QUIZ: E-cycling

Topics:Gold

Sectors:Technology Hardware and Equipment | Technology

By: Daniel Bukszpan, Staff Writer | 30 Aug 2011 | 12:28 PM ET

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QUIZ: E-cycling

When people think about recycling, they usually think about aluminum cans, newspapers and cardboard boxes. However, another kind of product that gets much less attention but is no less important to recycle is consumer electronics. The average consumer will replace a computer or an iPod several times as the technology improves, but the old one contains too many precious metals and hazardous materials to just toss it in the dumpster. This is why the recycling of electronics, or "E-cycling," has become the newest front in our war against waste.

How much do you know about recycling electronics? Take our E-cycling quiz and find out.

Posted 28 September 2010

What type of metal is present in electronics that make them hazardous to dispose of in landfills?

Alkali metals
Heavy metals
Poor metals
Transition metals

Electronics are dangerous to dispose of in landfills because they contain heavy metals, such as arsenic, lead and mercury. These metals are known to cause illness in individuals, but the concern goes beyond the individual level --- if these metals were to leak into the ground of a landfill they could penetrate into the earth and eventually contaminate the water supply, causing illness on a large scale.

SOURCE: E-cycling: The Unknown Fate of Our Electronic Waste | Richmond Examiner

What percent of the municipal solid waste stream is represented by used electronics?

Less than 2%
5%
8%
12%

Less than 2% of the municipal solid waste stream is represented by electronics. Good news, right? Well, not exactly. That number is almost certain to grow as long as consumers continue to replace obsolete equipment as frequently as they are now, and as long as problem-plagued gadgets like the iPhone 4 reach the marketplace in vast numbers.

SOURCE: Fact Sheet: Management of Electronic Waste in the United States | United States Environmental Protection Agency

According to an Oberlin College study, how many computer disks are thrown away every year?

Half a million
1.5 million
Half a billion
1.5 billion

Almost 4 million computer disks are thrown out on a daily basis, or 1.5 billion annually. According to the study, this is the equivalent of a stack of disks the same height as Chicago's Sears Tower being created every 21 seconds. But don't worry, they'll degrade in 500 years.

SOURCE: Interesting Facts About Recycling | Oberlin College Resource Conservation Team

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, how many desktop computers are in storage?

6 million
66 million
660 million
6 billion

Not all used electronics are disposed of improperly. A considerable portion of them sits in closets, attics and garages, where they will do nothing but gather dust for the conceivable future. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that as of 2007, 65.7 million desktop computers languish in storage.

SOURCE: Statistics on the Management of Used and End-of-Life Electronics | United States Environmental Protection Agency

In 2007, what percentage of television sets was recycled?

None
8 percent
18 percent
28 percent

In 2007, approximately 18 percent of the 26.9 million televisions that were ready for end-of-life management were recycled, while the remaining 82% were thrown away, mostly in landfills. This is actually a better rate of recycling than previous statistics had shown, as many states had begun mandatory electronics recycling programs by 2005.