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What Happens to Australia's E-Waste

Posted by timothy on from the as-long-as-you-keep-it-down-under dept.

lukehopewell1 writes "Aussies recycle several million tonnes of computers, TVs, mobile phones and other e-waste every year, with the number set to skyrocket over the next decade. ZDNet Australia takes an extended look into what happens to your devices when you're done with them. Take a peek inside the e-waste recycling process and find out what happens to your tech when it goes off to the wreckers."

2 of 78 comments (clear)

  1. In "real life" it goes to the Third World by acidradio · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm sure there are some legitimate e-waste recyclers in the developed world but they are far and few between. Most of this stuff is pawned off on places like Nigeria, India and China where those people are forced to contend with toxic metals, burning plastic, strong acids and harmful processes performed in unregulated back-alley operations.

    If we don't recycle it responsibly it just gets disposed of in some toxic manner in another country. I think it's about time we attach a disposal fee or tax on all these things at the time of purchase. The product cycle on most electronics is rather short. It WILL be disposed of sometime and that interval gets to be less and less. "Out of sight, out of mind" doesn't get rid of the pollution, it just sends it to some other country. That other country is still on this earth though.

  2. Re:It's taking up space... by dbIII · · Score: 5, Funny

    My witty reply was stifled when I looked behind me and saw a pile of 7 nine track tape reels - and that's just at work!