1.1 Background and problem definition
In the Philippines, consumption of electrical and electronic products has been increasing at an unprecedented rate and the accumulation of obsolete electronics is growing over time. In the
case of cellular mobile phone and personal computers for instance, the International
Telecommunications Union estimates that cellular mobile phones ownership increased from
34,000 units in 1991 to almost 52 million units in 2007. With a population of about 80 million,
approximately 2 out of 3 persons in the country possess a cellular phone. The same is true for
personal computers wherein a phenomenal increase in ownership is observed over the last 15
years. In 1991, personal computer ownership was estimated to be around 6,300 units and it
went up to 6.3 million units in 2006 (see Figure 1-1)