Title: Why Is E-waste Being Shipped To Developing Countries? – ERI
Headings: Why Is E-waste Being Shipped To Developing Countries?
Why Is E-waste Being Shipped To Developing Countries?
Why Companies Ship E-Waste to Developing Countries
Safety & Environmental Regulations
The Effects of Shipping E-Waste
How to Prevent the Shipping of E-Waste

Content: Why? Although electronic waste only accounts for 2% of the waste found in U.S. landfills, it represents 70% of the overall toxic waste. Electronic devices consist of a number of hazardous chemicals, including lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, copper, barium, and chromium. When e-waste is brought to a landfill, these substances will eventually begin to leak from the devices, where it can absorb into the ground and contaminate the water supply. When electronics are sent to recycling centers, workers sort through them and remove certain parts such as batteries and toner ink. Then, the electronics are sent through a shredder machine that breaks them down into smaller chunks. The smaller pieces are then separated by material and resold on the market, and the environment remains unharmed in the process. But, the cost of operating a recycling plant in the U.S. can be high, especially when you factor in the labor that is needed to sort through the waste. The U.S. also has strict environmental and safety regulations that recyclers must abide by, which adds to the cost of operating the plant. Some recycling plants have found that shipping their hazardous e-waste overseas for processing is much less expensive than handling it in the states.