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Almost every day, old computers, mobile phones and other gizmos make way for new ones. Not surprisingly, e-waste is now a fast-growing part of the garbage stream in many countries. If improperly disposed of, the lead, mercury and other toxic materials inside e-waste can leak from landfills.
Still more needs to be done
As more PCs and other electronics get replaced each year, e-waste dumping is turning into a serious problem, especially in emerging economies where developed countries are said to send their used equipment to.
Research firm Gartner says 37 million secondary PCs were refurbished and exported to emerging markets last year, and this is expected to hit 69 million by 2012.
Rozana Sani finds out more.
DO you know that a single computer contains metals such as lead, mercury, gold and silver as well as many other materials? Some can be recovered and reused, but others, if not treated and discarded properly, can be hazardous to our health and environment.
Daily, thousands of computers come to the end of their use and become e-waste. Not properly dealt with, their long-term effects on health and environment can be toxic.