| The production and consumption of all products
has an environmental impact. The range of environmental concerns
associated with electrical and electronic products is well
documented in Australian (and international) studies, including
work conducted nationally by the Commonwealth Department
of the Environment and Heritage, the New South Wales Department
of Environment and Conservation, RMIT University and various
consultants.
Specifically related to certain consumer electronics
products is the issue of hazardous materials and toxic substances
e.g. the presence of lead in cathode ray tubes from televisions.
Other environmentally problematic materials can be found
in some e-waste depending on the vintage and brand of products.
Certain components such as printed circuit boards can also
contain beryllium, mercury, cadmium, nickel, zinc, sliver
and gold. Even though the presence and/or quantity of these
materials and substances is reducing in many consumer electronic
products, their toxicity demands that they be safely recovered,
processed and recycled from e-waste.
At another level, are
the connected issues of resource consumption and solid waste
(and its contribution to landfill). The inefficient
use of manufacturing materials and solid waste associated
with producing or the packaging of new electronic products
are areas of concern, particularly where multiple materials
are used and no obvious recovery and recycling system is
available.
PSA acknowledges the range of environmental issues
associated with the consumer electronics sector. They provide
the impetus
for industry action and the establishment of PSA.
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