The EPA estimates that unwanted electronics totaled two million tons in 2005. This volume is increasing, and discarded electronics represent five to six times as much weight as recycled electronics.
When e-waste finds its way into the regular waste stream or is sent to developing countries to be processed, it causes serious health and pollution problems. E-waste contains many toxic materials such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, and brominated flame retardants. Disposal or processing workers are often insufficiently protected from exposure to these contaminants, and improper disposal and processing techniques (including burning and dismantling for valuable components) pose significant safety and environmental risks.
In the United States, electronic waste represents only 2% of the trash in landfills, but an estimated 70% of heavy metals found there comes from the electronic waste that is mixed in with the other trash.