The Electronic Wasteland
60 Minutes recently released a story covering the improper recycling of electronic waste (e-waste) in foreign countries, with materials supplied by American recyclers.
“The Electronic Wasteland” begins with a recycling event in Colorado and ends in the Chinese village of Guiyu, where workers openly burn and recycle e-waste. Where circuit boards are heated over open fires and acid is used to extract precious substances such as gold, workers are also exposed to harmful substances such as lead, cadmium, polyvinyl chlorides and mercury. Because of these practices, the area reports the highest concentration of dioxins in the world, among other health and environmental issues.
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