There is an episode of the TV series Monk in which the titular obsessive-compulsive detective is ill, and he is given one of those singing get-well cards—which soon drives him to insanity. (As with so many things, I am with Monk on this.) He ultimately tosses the card in the trash—but in California, that would be illegal. Says Generation Green: “Singing cards contain batteries and electronic circuit boards that are classified as Universal Waste (U-Waste) in California, meaning it is illegal for them to be disposed of into sanitary landfills.  The tiny button batteries contain lithium that if ingested can lead cause serious health problems like vocal paralysis, hearing loss and nasal deformity. The circuit boards contain metals that are toxic to aquatic animals.” Just as adding lamination to a printed piece makes in unrecyclable, so, too, does adding “rich media” elements to an otherwise perfectly recyclable card. Technically, then, those singing cards are e-waste. Among other things.