End-of-Life Personal Computer Systems in California: Analysis of Emissions and Infrastructure Needed to Recycle in the Future

The objectives of the present study are to estimate future quantities of electronic waste (e-waste), and to the estimate the total cost for e-waste recycling in California. To generate estimates, we used a time-series materials flow analysis model (MFAM). The model estimates future e-waste quantities by modeling the stages of production, usage, and disposal. We consider four scenarios for the estimation of future e-waste generation. To calculate cost for recycling, we used technical cost modeling (TCM). The results of the present research indicate that the outflow (recycling) amount of central processing units (CPUs) will increase and will reach approximately 8.5 million units per year in 2013, but the outflow (recycling) of cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors will decrease from 2004 in California. After the State of California enacted the ban on landfill disposal of e-waste, recycling became the most common end-of-life (EOL) option in California. Also, after 2005, the State of California will need more than 60 average-sized materials recovery facilities (MRFs) to recycle the number of personal computer systems generated