On the EPR Front

Sheila DavisSilicon Valley Toxics Coalition

August 2004

SVTC Mission Statement

Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition does research, advocacy, and organizing to address human health and environmental problems caused by the rapid growth of the high-tech electronics industry. Our goal is to advance environmental sustainability and clean production in the industry, as well as to improve health, promote justice, and ensure democratic decision-making for communities and workers affected by the high-tech revolution.

Did You Know?

Water Use and Other Materials that are Associated with Semiconductor

Production

A Semiconductor Wafer

Image: http://users.erols.com/circuits//

Source: “The 1.7 Kilogram Microchip:World Watch, 2003

A Semiconductor Wafer

One mirco chip weighs 2 grams and:

•Uses 72 grams of chemicals to make• 700 grams of elemental gases •32,000 grams of water •1200 grams of fossil fuels •total mass of materials used to produce the 2-gram chip is 630 times that of the final product •The amount of resoureces used to make a car is about 2X the weight

“Printed circuit boards contain heavy metals such as antimony, silver, chromium, zinc, lead, tin and copper. According to some estimated there is hardly any other product for which the sum of the environmental impacts of raw material, extraction, industrial, refining and production, use and disposal is so extensive as for printed circuit boards.”

-CARE conference, Vienna 1994

Global High-Tech Production is

Undergoing the Largest Industrial

Expansion in History

Moore’s Law

1982 80286

19768086

1974 8080

1971 4004

1986 386DX

1993 Pentium

1995 Prentium

Pro

1989 486

0

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

Tra

nsi

sto

rs p

er C

hip

Chart B Familiarity of designers with ecodesign topics (averaged values)

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4

Hazards of lead

Concept of "Design for the Environment"

Hazards of persistent bioaccumulative toxins

EU RoHs Directive

Hazards of brominated f lame retardants

Not familiar (0) Very familiar (2.0)

Chart C Ability of designers to influence design attributes (averaged values)

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3

Form, color, texture

Finish type (paint, lamination)

Access to internal components

Ease of dissassembly

Multi-material inserts in plastic

Plastic type (incl. recycled content)

Flame retardant in plastic

Additives in plastic (phthalates, etc.)

Toxics in electronic components

Circuit board solder type

Design attribute

Not able to influence (0) Able to influence (3)

Chart E What percent of designer's clients/managers . . . (averaged values)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Restrict brominated flame retardants

Require recycled plastic content

Supply a list of restricted materials

Require design for fast disassembly

Restrict use of lead

Reference

Percentage of clients/managers

Chart F Importance of environmental and human health impacts of products to . . . (averaged values)

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8

the designer

the designer's clients

the designer'smanagers

Not important (0) Very important (2)

Piles of E-Waste

300 Million Obsolete Computers by 2004

Plastic 4 billion lbs.

Lead 1 billion lbs.

Cadmium 1.9 million lbs.

Chromium 1.2 million lbs.Mercury 400,000 lbs.

Environmentally Preferable Procurement Guidelines for Electronic

ProductsPrepared by

Computer TakeBack Campaignin collaboration with

Health Care Without Harm http://www.computertakeback.com/

legislation_and_policy/hchw_procurement.cfm

Environmentally Preferable Procurement

Basic Principles

1) End-of-Life Management

1) Upgradeability

1) Design for the Environment and Public Health

1) Manufacturing

1) Energy Efficiency

Environmentally Preferable Procurement Guidelines for Electronic

ProductsMaterials of Concern (1)

• chlorinated plastics in cable wiring • brominated flame retardants in PCBs• heavy metals (lead and cadmium) in

CRTs• mercury in Liquid Crystal Display

(LCD) or flat panel monitors.

Environmentally Preferable Procurement Guidelines for Electronic

ProductsMaterials of Concern (2)

• teratogenic = linked to birth defects• persistent = not easily excreted from

the body• bioaccumulative = magnifies up the

food chain• carcinogenic = cancer causing

Environmentally Preferable Procurement Guidelines for

Electronic Products

• Materials of Concern (3)

• reproductive toxin = linked to birth defects

• endocrine disruptor = disrupts the hormonal system

• mutagenic = causes mutations in cells

Environmentally Preferable Procurement Guidelines for

Electronic Products

It is estimated that 70% of the heavy metals found in landfills (including mercury and cadmium) come from discarded electronic products

Health Impacts

• Mercury - damages brain, kidneys, fetus; travels easily in the food chain– PBT - persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic

• Cadmium - damages kidneys (PBT)• Chromium VI - damages DNA• Toners - carbon black - respiratory

problems; may be carcinogenic

Environmentally Preferable Procurement Guidelines for

Electronic ProductsMercury and Exposure During

Disposal

• Lighting in flat panel displays is a source of mercury.  Mercury is a well-documented neurotoxin.  Mercury contamination occurs during the transfer, landfilling, and incineration of solid waste.

http://www.newmoa.org/NEWMOA/htdocs/prevention/mercury/landfillfactsheet.cfm