Note: Article was adapted from here.
We are so quick to replace our phones, laptops and TVs with the newest model on the market, completely oblivious to what happened to the devices we have discarded. People tend to say, ignorance is bliss, but that is not always the case. Our electronic waste goes on a long-winded journey; ultimately piling up in landfills and wreaking havoc on the wellbeing of surrounding populations.
A majority of our electronic waste is sent to accumulate in developing countries. As our dependence on technology continues to grow, so does our electronic waste. China has now become the second largest producer of electronic waste, succeeded only by the United States. The Dongxiaokou village located on the frills of Beijing, is one of the world's hubs for waste. For years, the province's villagers have made their living by collecting electronic waste and recycling them. One man's trash is another man's treasure. Electronic waste contains a substantial amount of rare metals, like gold, which can be extracted and reused. The village can also be seen dotted with small tenement houses which hold mountains of discarded air conditioners. The villagers fix them for wholesalers to sell in rural provinces. Hundreds of families in downtown Beijing have gained immense wealth from this activity. The poorer garbage collectors scour through the rummage in search of valuable metals that may be left behind. The electronic waste which cannot be recycled goes down a different path. After being dismantled, it is sold as scrap for a measly 1RMB per kg.
Although the villagers make a living off the waste, the amount they earn is not nearly enough to make up for the immense amount of damage it creates. The villagers live in unsanitary conditions, lacking proper sewage disposal and tap water. The recycling process releases pollutants into the waterbeds, consequently making their local stream undrinkable. The stream is now malodorous and its water a peculiar colour. The children of the village can often be found playing amongst the heaps of waste found bordering Dongxiaokou. The World Health Organisation has stated that direct contact with certain components of electronic waste can be extremely harmful, especially for children. What is even more alarming is that the equipment itself in its mangled state is enough to cause serious physical wounds. The towering consequences, of improper electronic waste disposal, on the environment and the people is a matter that must be dealt with.
Clean Urban Mining, part of the Clean Earth Technologies Group, has a sustainable solution. Electronic waste components are processed using our non-toxic reagent to leach precious metals and our patented polymer is then used to recover the metals from the leach solution.