Electronic Waste (E-Waste)

Short for electronic waste. The term e-waste is applied to all waste caused by discarding electronic devices, especially consumer electronics. E-waste is a major concern in areas of personal computing and wireless devices that are quickly discarded by consumers. The lifespan of these electronics are short-lived due to rapid technological advances and lower costs to purchase each year. Consumers generally buy new instead of reusing because their electronic device quickly becomes obsolete or it may be cheaper to purchase new. Inkjet printers are one example of a common e-waste problem as consumers believe they can save money to purchase a new printer with ink than to buy ink refill for their old one.