Electronic waste is a waste type consisting of any broken or unwanted electrical or electronic device. 20 to 50 billion tons of electronic waste is generated globally. China, India and Nigeria are considered the most popular dumping grounds for E-Waste. Market for E-Waste is expected to top $11 billion by the end of 2009 and therefore it's lucrative to dump on the developing world.
Many components considered toxic and not biodegradable (lead, mercury, cadmium) but computers are also a source of highly valuable metals like gold, copper and aluminum. One ton of computer scrap contains more gold than 17 tons of gold ore. Circuit boards can be 40 times richer in copper than typical copper ore.
Source: www.foreignpolicy.com
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