This week Time magazine is running an article on this village in China named Guiyu where they recycle tons of ewaste imported from America and Europe. Each year 5,500 local businesses, usually home-run workshops, dismantle 1.5 million tons of discarded computers, cell phones and other electronic gadgets.
They also have the highest levels of carcinogenic dioxins in the world and the children there suffer from widespread lead poisoning. Besides the print article, Time also have an online photo album, from which the above picture (credit: Chien-min Chung) is taken. The sight of all these children running among mountain of ewaste and this old grandma picking out electronic components totally breaks my heart.
I would urge the reader to follow Time's excellent advice and to recycle your electronic gadgets, TV's and computers through responsible businesses who do not export the toxic waste to third-world countries like China. In particular Time mention Sony, Samsung and LG among the brands who accept to recycle old products for free. For cell phones there is greenphone.com and Dell also recycle old PC's if you ship it back to them-it's free.
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