Interestingly, whilst in Japan, I was lucky enough to discuss first hand the
drivers behind
the change towards lead-free with representatives of a Japanese electronics
giant. Conversely, their take on lead-free was that the introduction of
'local' toxic waste legislation was going to inhibit and increase costs in
the disposal of lead containing electronics in landfill. By changing to
lead-free electronics the premise propounded was the disposal of electronics
into landfill could continue without cost to the manufacturer. My assumption
was it was also politically useful to be seen to be meeting the legislative
requirements.

Andrew Hoggan
BBA Associates


----- Original Message -----
From: "Harvey Miller" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2001 8:51 PM
Subject: Re: [LF] INCINERATION?


> Joe Fjelstad  reports that a contact who traveled to Japan recently
relates
> the following  "reason" for lead-free solder.  His Japanese informant
stated
> that Japan lacks room for landfills; discarded electronic equipment is
> incinerated.  Lead escapes in particulate or vapor form and exposes the
dense
> population to poisoning.
>
> I have been able to reach informed people in the recycling industry who
have
> explained to me the pitfalls in that position for lead-free.
>
> It is indeed true that lead in combusted material will be emitted from the
> stack if no precautions are taken.  Melting and boiling temperatures of
lead
> and its compounds are irelevant.  Significant traces will be attached to
> other materials and convection will do the rest.  And indeed when smelters
> were common in the U.S. in days before regulation, many people were
poisoned
> by emitted lead.
> But Jim Taggart of ECS Refining explained to me that is history.  Today in
> the U.S. there are 16 very well regulated and monitored smelters, also
very
> large.  They are actually large enough to cope with the mountains of
> electronic products with lead solder--  to melt and recover all the lead
and
> tin lead solder.  (The problems are in setting up a collection system and
> defraying the costs.)
>
> So our response to the position of the Japanese informant, who is
apparently
> not very well informed,.would include the following statements:
>
>           1.  Incineration is not a good idea.  There are many other toxic
> substances besides lead.  Scrubbers would be mandated in any
case
> to clean the emissions before they reach the air that people breathe.
That
> must be true in Japan.
>         2. Recycling is the best choice, for reusing all scrap materials.
> Smelting the tin lead solder is an environmentally clean process
> when properly done.
>         3.  We agree, landfills are out.  Pretty soon, we won't have room
> either.  (But, Gordon Davy, even if we always have "room" for
> dumps, wouldn't it be nicer to recycle.  Think of all the mining it
replaces.)
>
> Jim Taggart makes another related point-- environmentally conscious
people,
> take heed!  Recycling the lead in used electronics for re-use has another
> great advantage.  If no-lead solder prevails, new mining activity will be
> necessary to secure the tin, bismuth, zinc, indium, silver.  (Brian Ellis
has
> made this point well.)  In an age of increasing electronic circuit
> integration, recycled lead might take care of all our future needs.
>
> Jim has another suggestion.  Take all the money being spent on no-lead
> solder.  Use it instead to repaint the rooms wherein all the poor children
> are exposed to lead bearing paint.  Isn't that just a great idea!  (And,
by
> the way, Jim is going against his own economic self interest in suggesting
> that lead-free is without merit. As a smelter operator, he would gain from
> the more valuable alloys. We need more Jim Taggarts)
>
> Harvey Miller
>
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Search previous postings at: www.ipc.org > On-Line Resources & Databases > E-mail Archives
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