Recycling e-Waste: The Sky Is the Limit

The world generates about 40 million tons of PCs, cathode-ray tube (CRT) screens, fax machines, game consoles, mobile phones, and other e-waste every year. Barely 20 percent of this highly toxic waste is properly disposed of and recycled. Some e-waste is stripped of precious metal and unusable components are dumped in landfills, poisoning the soil and precious water resources. Unregulated e-waste trade affects a growing section of the population. China, one of the largest processors of e-waste, has exported jewelry containing toxic lead from e-waste. But public pressure to recycle e-waste is having a major impact, and e-waste recycling is now one of the fastest-growing industries in the world.