Recycling electronics is getting more difficult as devices get smaller and smaller
Source: Environmental News Network, Date: , 2015
The last several decades have brought a global explosion of
electronics with a huge impact on quality of life and communications, as well
as the world economy. But, like most big human-induced changes, there were
unintended consequences, primarily in the form of the mountains of waste that
resulted as products quickly became obsolete and tossed out only to be replaced
by others with an equally short lifespan. (One study showed that 25 percent of
electronic devices were used less than 500 hours before being discarded.) This
is exacerbated by the fact that electronic waste can contain dangerous
materials including lead, mercury and cadmium.