Estimating regional material flows for LCDs Proceedings of the IEEE international symposium on electronics and the environment ISEE (May 2008)

As LCD monitors increasingly enter the e-waste stream, there is a need to better understand what recyclers might expect in terms of what they will receive and what materials they will need to manage. Here, we identify materials used in the production of key subassemblies, and note uncertainties in the composition of the LCD assembly, film set (comprised of the reflection foil, light guide, prism foil, diffuser, and the brightness enhancement film), and the backlight assembly. Next, we quantify the range of U.S. flows of LC assembly and film set materials and the mercury in the backlight assembly, on the basis of the range of screen diagonals for portable PCs, PC flat screens, and TV flat screens. Finally, we considered computer use statistics presented by the U.S. Census and data on the location of U.S. e-waste and automotive mercury switch recovery programs as a first step in understanding regional preparedness, noting opportunities for improvements in all aspects of our analysis.