Summary:

• Definition of the electronic waste and its various types (lead, cadmium, mercury...).
• In the US in 2005, 42 million computers were discarded.
• E-waste constitutes 40% of lead and 60% of heavy metals in landfills.
• Rapid technology change is increasing the consumption of electronic equipments which means more electronic waste and generation of more hazardous materials.
• Both types of e-waste have raised concern considering that many components of such equipment are considered toxic and are not biodegradable.
• Responding to these concerns, many European countries banned e-waste from landfills in the 1990s.
• The difficulty with electronic waste and many other products is that they are made from a huge range of component materials that are useless for further manufacturing until the product is dismantled and the component materials are separated - often a very difficult and expensive process. 
• Electronic waste is the fastest growing component of municipal waste worldwide with 20-50 million tones generated annually.
• Finding new methods and locations to dispose of this waste is becoming problematic. 
• E-waste is laden with toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium that can leach into water, soils and the atmosphere, posing significant environmental and human health risks (like: cancer, neurological and respiratory disorders, and birth defects).
• Most developing countries lack the waste removal infrastructure and technical capacities necessary to ensure the safe disposal of hazardous waste.
• The problem remains acute in developing countries, however, where people are more likely to live in close proximity to a landfill.
• 25 to 75 percent of used electronics shipped to developing countries are obsolete.