omated systems are now available.Secondary recyclers process metals, plastics and glass contained in the IT equipment to recover raw materials. These recyclers generally use highly automated processing equipment, requiring minimal manual disassembly.Electronic and computer waste can also be processed at smelting facilities to recover precious metals. The pyrometallurgical process utilized at a smelting facility involves the melting and fusing of ores to separate metallic constituents, such as lead or copper.Smelters can also use the leaded glass contained in CRTs as a fluxing agent in the production of pure lead 7. Noranda’s Horne facility in northwestern Quebec is thelargest North American copper and precious metal smelter 6.CRTs require special processing because they can contain from 0.7 to 2.7 kg of lead depending on the monitor size and year of manufacture. Monitors that can not be refurbished can be recycled into new CRTs or used as fluxing agents by a secondary lead smelter. To reuse an old CRT in the manufacture of a new CRT, the face glass is separated from the neck and funnel glass and the frit bonding compound by sawing the CRT at the frit bonding compound. If the CRT glass is to be used as a fluxing agent it does not require separation. The glass can be recovered in this process as well 7.Disposal: IT equipment as a whole or as its dismantled component parts can bedisposed in landfills or incinerators. At this time, there is limited information availableon the percentage of the waste stream that is made up of IT equipment. A 1999 wastecomposition study in the City of Calgary found that electronic equipment (includingcomputers, radios, televisions etc.) comprised 1.2% of the residential waste stream or3,000 tons per year 8. This is comparable to US solid waste data that shows thatelectronic waste comprises 1-2% of the solid waste stream 9. Equivalent information isnot available for IC&I waste at this time but could form...
