2006年VOA标准英语-Growing Market for Electronic Waste Recycl

By Mil Arcega
Washington, DC
23 May 2006
 
watch Ewaste report 

Recycled computer keyboards  
  
The business of disposing electronic waste -  or e-waste - is growing as computer usage increases around the world. Electronic obsolescence¹ is responsible for much of the growth. 

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Every year computers get faster, MP3 players get smaller and display screens get larger. 

But this is the flip² side of the high tech revolution  -  a growing electronic wasteland.

 
Alex Fidis
  
Alex Fidis, an environmental lawyer for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group says e-waste is now the fastest growing form of trash in the United States.

"Our country generates the most e-waste of any other country in the world and we really need to start dealing³ with it."

Americans buy more computers than any other people in the world.  And the computers are replaced, on average, every three years.  Most old computers end up in landfills.  Others - a little more than 10 percent  - go to recycling facilities like this one in Sterling⁴, Virginia.

Here, technicians dismantle⁵ old computers for parts, which can be re-used or melted down to obtain gold, copper⁶ or lead.

Krissy Luke  
  
E-Tech recycling manager Krissy Luke says business has been good but admits it could be better. "Honestly I can say I'm breaking even, but I would like to make a profit."

Ms. Luke says one of the obstacles is that consumer awareness⁷ still lags behind the growth in consumer electronics. 

And, there are the disposal costs.  For example, recyclers charge between $10 and $20 for the proper disposal of computer monitors, which can contain as much as two kilograms of lead.

Luke adds, "I see a lot of people are really reluctant to pay a $7 [isposal] fee for a monitor, but they should consider that in the future, it will pay off for generations to come."

But with nearly 50 million tons of e-waste generated globally each year, analysts⁸ say the world supply exceeds current recycling capacity.

Fidis, says the waste is often sent outside of U.S. "About 80 percent of the electronic waste that is recycled in the U.S. is actually sent overseas where it 's supposed to be recycled.  Unfortunately, when it arrives in many countries that its shipped to, only about a quarter of the waste is actually recycled."

Melting of electronic material could be hazardous  
  
Some of it ends up in landfills in India or dismantled⁹ illegally by scrap¹⁰ traders in China.  Many workers here are still unaware¹¹ of the health risks associated with e-waste, or the ecological¹² damage when chemicals used to make electronic parts seep¹³ into groundwater.

But the Environmental Protection Agency, which sets national standards for environmental programs in the U.S., says awareness is growing. Recycling fees are becoming a part of the cost of buying most new televisions and monitors.  Computer makers¹⁴ such as Apple, HP and Dell have launched free computer recycling programs and some European countries recently set new manufacturing standards that would make electronic parts easier to recycle.  

1 obsolescence   

n.过时，陈旧，废弃

参考例句：

• For some small unproductive mills,the reality is not merger but obsolescence and bankruptcy.对一些效率低下的小厂而言，现实不是合并，而是可能被淘汰和破产。
• Finally,the cost approach can provide a basis for allocating penalties,specifically economic obsolescence.最后，成本法可作为一个分配因陈旧特别是因经济

2 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。

5 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

6 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

7 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

8 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

9 dismantled   

拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消

参考例句：

• The plant was dismantled of all its equipment and furniture. 这家工厂的设备和家具全被拆除了。
• The Japanese empire was quickly dismantled. 日本帝国很快被打垮了。

10 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

11 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。

12 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

13 seep   

v.渗出，渗漏；n.渗漏，小泉，水（油）坑

参考例句：

• My anger began to seep away.我的怒火开始消下去了。
• If meteoric water does not evaporate or run overland,it may seep directly into the ground.如果雨水不从陆地蒸发和流走的话，就可能直接渗入地下。

14 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》