Destination of ‘Recycled’ Electronics May Surprise You
CNN.com features a story on the disposal of electronic waste, and how cost concerns result in as much as 80 percent of e-waste ending up overseas where it is recycled in an un-environmentally friendly way.
In countries including China, India and Nigeria, the precious metals are removed by hammers, gas burners and bare hands, which results in lead and mercury being leaked into the air. Safety costs in the U.S. make shipping off these electronics to other countries a more cost-effective measure, as it can cost up to 10 times more to recycle electronics in the U.S.
Foreign countries are starting to crack down though, as Hong Kong authorities already returned 85 containers of electronics in 2007, including 20 from the U.S. China also now produces one million tons of e-waste itself according to Greenpeace China, and this number is on the rise.
For more on the proper disposal of e-waste, visit Earth 911’s Electronics page.
