Article written by AWD LAW Attorney Jennifer Mott
Law offices are full of electronics—computers, monitors, cellphones, printers, copiers. As the next wave of smartphones, tablets and e-readers works their way into the office, lawyers will add yet more devices to their stockpiles. In 2009, 438 million new consumer electronics were sold, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
At the end of their useful life in the office, these electronics are destined to join the e-waste stream. E-waste—electronics waste—generally refers to discarded electronics that may or may not be functional. E-waste is on the rise here and abroad. Americans generated 2.37 million tons of electronics that were ready for end-of-life disposition in 2009, a 120 percent increase over 1999 amounts.