San Bernardino, CA—Zero Waste Communities, a coalition of 16 cities and towns in San Bernardino County dedicated to educating the community on environmental issues, predicts a large amount of electronic waste will be generated in the first quarter of 2008, due in part to the replacement of old electronics with newer models from the holiday season.

“E-waste constitutes any discarded electronics, from televisions to computers, cell phones to stereos,” said Olivia Sanchez, Project Manager for Zero Waste Communities. “Each holiday season, millions of consumers receive brand new electronics, and trash their old gadgets. Unfortunately, they fail to realize the harmful effects that electronics and their components can have on our environment.”

Earth911.org states that Americans generated 1.5 billion pounds of all kinds of e-waste in 2006. That included an estimated 44 million computers and televisions. In 2008, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. consumers will retire two million tons of e-waste.

Electronic waste can exude hazardous toxins and carcinogens into our solid waste system, such as lead, cadmium and mercury. Even a small amount of these hazardous chemicals can contaminate an area’s soil or water supply. Additionally, these electronics take up valuable space in landfills.

Zero Waste Communities is urging consumers to first assess whether their old electronics can be reused. If the electronic equipment is totally defunct, recycling is the next best option.

The materials that make up these electronics can be used in alternative ways. For example, recyclers can separate gold, copper, and other valuable material from a broken down computer. Earth911.org asserts that 99 percent of all materials from electronics can be recycled or reused in a different capacity, or can be sold off.

Zero Waste Communities is available to help San Bernadino residents recycle their electronics properly, and to answer questions they might have related to any environmental issues. To find electronics recycling programs and events in your area, use the recycling locator at the top of this page.