Wide Angle: E-Waste
Cellphones, laptops, television sets and desktop computers are becoming cheaper by the year, and as disposable as ever. If you're a good citizen, you recycle. But that electronic device could eventually find its way to an informal processing center in a developing country, where it can cause serious health and pollution problems. We'll take a look at the problem and some of the solutions being proposed to reduce this growing global hazards.
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3 Reasons Why a Ban on E-waste Exports is Wrong
Such bans cut jobs, push recycling to the black market and don't address the growing number of electronics thrown away in developing countries.
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Are Batteries Bad for the Environment?
Without an eco-friendlier alternative to batteries, recycling rechargeables is the best way consumers can prevent those heavy metals from leeching into the environment.
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Is E-Waste Hazardous?
E-waste poses serious environmental and health risks, but eradicating it could be economically hazardous to those whose livelihoods depend on it for employment.
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'Blood Cell Phones' Fuel War, Crime and Human Rights Abuses
Ewaste is a major global problem. But so too is the global trade in the materials that go into our electronics in the first place. Here's a bit more about so-called "conflict minerals."
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Fake Recyclers Profit Off E-Waste
Some e-waste isn't recycled at all, but shipped for a profit to countries with lax environmental laws.
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Medical E-Waste and Equipment Get a Second Chance
Several determined doctors have started bringing modern medical devices into the environmental fold.
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E-Waste Could Help Prevent Bacterial Infections
LCD screens contain an ingredient that's harmless to humans and deadly to bacteria.
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Electronic Waste Produces Algae for Biofuel
Old computer parts serve as a reservoir to cultivate algae, which can be harvested and used to produce biodiesel.
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Don't Recycle Your Computer
Our usual assumptions about recycling aren't always right when it comes to electronics.
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Where Does Our Garbage Go?
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have figured out how to track trash. They are doing this to get a better sense of people's disposal habits, which they hope will improve recycling efforts.
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