Recycler - E-waste

E-waste treatment can include dismantling, crushing, grinding, desoldering, shredding, stripping, smelting, and other operations that create smoke, mists, vapors, dust, and other by-products that contain hazardous or toxic materials. These activities can release hazardous air emissions or accumulate hazardous materials in the facility’s soil, water, and interior spaces, leading to environmental cleanup and causing harm to natural resources and the health of nearby third parties inhaling toxic fumes and particles or ingesting contaminated water and food sources.

Leaching or extracting precious metals, such as gold, from e-waste can involve chemicals and acids such as cyanide, nitric acid, and hydrochloric acid. Processes that involve heating can release dangerous toxins into the air that can cause skin disorders, liver problems, heart disease, or cancer and impair the immune, endocrine, and reproductive systems. During processing, improper containment of spent materials can result in their release into soil or water sources, damaging natural resources and harming human health. Spills or containment breaches of stored chemicals and acids on-site can contaminate soil and water systems.

E-waste facilities may end up with unwanted electronic waste, which must be disposed of in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations. Much e-waste still ends up in landfills, not permitted to accept such waste, where hazardous materials can leach out and contaminate the soil and underlying groundwater. Anyone disposing of hazardous or universal waste in landfills retains the liability for the damage these wastes might create. Most e-waste recyclers have a non-owned disposal site liability created by waste streams transported to landfills for disposal.

Soil contamination can occur from effluent or waste products from leaching practices and particles and ash from dismantling, shredding, or burning practices that can deposit into soils. Contaminants can include heavy metals and flame retardants (PFAs and PFOs), which can persist and remain in the soil for long periods.

Cleaning agents and solvents used in demanufacturing or disassembly operations might be flammable, combustible, toxic, or otherwise harmful to the atmosphere, soil, or groundwater. Improper use, storage, or disposal could lead to cleanup liability and third-party claims for bodily injury and property damage.

Stormwater may come in contact with contaminated soils and outdoor stockpiles of e-waste, which can undergo weathering and release hazardous compounds. If the stormwater run-off is not properly controlled, contained, and pre-treated before discharge into sanitary or storm drainage systems, it can pollute adjacent soil and groundwater or discharge directly into surface waters.

Collection vehicles, conveyor belts, sorting machines, and other production equipment may leak lubricants, oil, grease, or fuel. Spills or leaks can occur from stock supplies or during maintenance and fueling. Releases can contaminate soil, may be collected in stormwater run-off, or contribute to fire hazards.

Many e-waste components are classified as hazardous or universal waste (a category of hazardous waste containing very common materials but still falling under regulatory guidelines) and require special treatment, storage, and disposal procedures. Labeling or sorting errors may lead to improper storage and disposal of waste and result in fines or environmental liability.

E-waste recyclers are in the distribution channel and can be held liable for bodily injury and property damage caused by pollution from products that contain parts from demanufactured or disassembled electronic equipment.