Article
Americans threw out just shy of three million tons of household electronics in 2006. This so-called e-waste is the fastest-growing part of the municipal waste stream and, depending on your outlook, either an enormous problem or a bonanza. E-waste generally contains substances that, though safely sequestered during each product’s use, can become hazardous if not handled properly when disposed. Those products also hold bits of precious metals like silver, copper, platinum and gold – they are the most valuable form of e-waste. Each cellphone, for example, contains about a dollar’s worth of precious metals, mostly gold. This comprehensive article looks at issues of mobile phone recycling and implications for the USA and the developing world.