[tinwhiskers] Re: Trade in electronic scrap grows as recycling laws expand
- From: "Bob Landman" <rlandman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tinwhiskers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2008 18:27:02 -0400
You are correct Gordon. There are quite a few things that human society is
willing (on the whole) to pay for just to feel good. What I object to (and so
do you) is hiding the costs. I'd like to see on every product that is sold
that is subject to these laws, a statement about what the costs of the goods
are to recycle them.
I just replaced a battery in my APC UPS unit and the box came with a UPS Ground
return label to APC. At first I thought "well, how nice of them" and then I
realized, that I was probably paying for that return cost and that they were
getting the lead back to reuse. That's not all bad, though, is it?
Here's an excellent report on the history of lead from the US Geological
Survey, in case anyone's interested. It's a bit dated (1998) but it's a wealth
of information
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2001/of01-170/of01-170.pdf
In 1998, recycled lead represented nearly 77% of refined lead production in the
United States. The spent lead-acid battery is the dominant source of lead for
reprocessing by the secondary lead industries. Thus, the efficiency with which
these batteries are collected, reprocessed, and returned to the marketplace in
the form of refined lead is of prime importance in maintaining the required
supply of lead in the United States.
In 1998, about 98% of all recycled lead was produced by 9 companies operating
17 battery recycling plants in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana,
Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas.
http://www.ila-lead.org/documents/FS_Recycling.pdf
The recycling of lead brings many advantages both to industry and to society at
large, in areas such as energy consumption, carbon emissions, resource
conservation and costs. As far as energy consumption is concerned, the
recycling of used lead products requires only about one-third of the energy
needed to produce lead from its ores. This results in major energy savings and
reduces carbon emissions. Apart from these savings in energy resources, the
reduced demand for virgin metal also results in less demand for lead ores which
can thus be conserved for future generations. The recovery of used lead
products and the recycling industry have also created significant employment
opportunities. These factors, coupled with lower costs, mean that recycling is
a very attractive option for users of lead containing products, and a valuable
contribution to sustainability.
Bob
From: tinwhiskers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:tinwhiskers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Gordon Davy
Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 9:06 PM
To: tinwhiskers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tinwhiskers] Re: Trade in electronic scrap grows as recycling laws
expand
Here's my revision to the first sentence of the recycling article.
"The trade in 'e-scrap' is growing, thanks to rapidly expanding recycling laws
that force consumers to subsidize the operation since (unlike the situation for
certain other kinds of recycling such as automobiles, for which there is no
legislated mandate) the cost exceeds the value of the output."
Same facts, different spin. The value to society of this mandated recycling -
apart from making people feel noble - has not been supported with a
cost-benefit analysis.
Gordon Davy
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