China's metal recovery Nightmare.

[Irons]

With the economy about to take a dive, this could easily happen here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071118/ap_on_re_as/china_toxic_electronics

GUIYU, China - The air smells acrid from the squat gas burners that sit outside homes, melting wires to recover copper and cooking computer motherboards to release gold. Migrant workers in filthy clothes smash picture tubes by hand to recover glass and electronic parts, releasing as much as 6.5 pounds of lead dust.

For five years, environmentalists and the media have highlighted the danger to Chinese workers who dismantle much of the world's junked electronics. Yet a visit to this southeastern Chinese town regarded as the heartland of "e-waste" disposal shows little has improved. In fact, the problem is growing worse because of China's own contribution.

--snip--

 

[badastro]

It's already happening on a lesser extent. People regularly burn wires for copper. Exactly how a gold refiner disposes of his/her toxic waste is another issue. Some people pour it into the toilet.... Either way, the refining process liberates heavy metals into a more dangerous form, and someone has to deal with the waste. Do you know what happens to the waste if you take it to a disposal company? Does it just get landfilled? Some people even still use mercury.

Look at yourself before you judge others. Gold refining here still isn't quite environmentally friendly.

 

[skyline27]

China has cracked down on the problem somewhat. Now it's popping up in other countries. I'm concerned about seling scrap to brokers who fill containers and ship it off for kids to pick it apart. The US needs to get it's act together and start dealing with E-scrap responsibly, at home.

 

[Shaul]

On the down side, once the 'US gets it's act together and starts dealing with E-scrap responsibly' the day of the hobbyist (collecting and refining precious metals from electronic scrap) will be over.

New Jersey is just the latest to join the 'Ban Electronics Disposal' parade and as this recent article shows, there will be more.


"New Jersey Bans Disposal of Electronic Waste"
Environment News Service (01/16/08.)
New Jersey is the latest state to enact a ban on the disposal of televisions, computers, cellphones, and other electronic devices. On Tuesday, Gov. Jon Corzine signed the Electronic Waste Recycling Act, which bars obsolete electronic devices from being dumped in garbage cans and landfills after Jan. 1, 2009. "This new law will make it as easy for New Jersey residents to responsibly dispose of these products as it is for them to be purchased," says Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, one of the sponsors of the legislation. Retailers will have to post information from the state's Department of Environmental Protection that describes how to recycle the electronic devices, providing information on locations where devices are being collected or can be returned. The state has to set collection and recycling goals and monitor the compliance of collectors, transporters, and recyclers. Manufacturers can set up their own collection, transportation, and recycling programs, but they will have to provide annual reports on their initiatives to the state. "The electronic waste stream that will be required to be recycled under this bill can contain significant and dangerous levels of a wide variety of materials, including lead, mercury, cadmium, and PCBs," said Corzine. California, Connecticut, Washington, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, and Oregon also have laws requiring the recycling of electronic products.

Shaul

 

[skippy]

Of course, if you can set up your own business to accept electronic devices, computers etc with a government subsidy or disposal fees it could potentially be a very profitable field to get into. Might be a good time to make contacts etc.

 

[markqf1]

I agree.
Look at what the insurance companies were able to do when it became required by law.

 

[skyline27]

I agree that it would be tougher for the little guys to get a piece of the action but the current system absolutely sucks. Landfilling eqipment and sending it overseas to be processed irresponsibly is the result of not having a national system in place.

On the positive side, all the people who are currently cramming computers in the garbage would have to take them to a recycler, us.

I see computer recycling as a positive thing if it's done right. People clear out their old junk, materials find there way back into new products, old equipment gets re-used and I get some heavy yellow buttons! I can only imagine what goes on if people are recycling/refining without a conscience.
(acid down the drain, burning wire and boards)
It's just dumping on the next generation to make a buck today.

It's said that the cost of environmental cleanup from Montana mines exceeds the value of all of the metal mined. And most of the profits didn't stay in Montana, they went back east to the fat cats.

 

[SilverNitrate]

When on my visits to Hong Kong in the affluent Causeway area near the Jockey Club park, there is a mountain side where its just a dump for old electronics, you can see hundreds of computers, radios, TVs, speakers, and all sorts of stuff sitting and thick brush and trees have taken root on. HK must be a lot cleaner from recycling. I wanted to find out why the rich place them there, and heard that maids would often the sit out and ship them to their home country if they can afford it provided it doesn't get too wet. Other wise it just sits there as part of the landscape. I say wouldn't the Salvation Army be happy with them donations?

 

[gorfman6154]

I was going over some old posts and remembered seeing some investigative reporting from 60 Minutes, about e-cycling in China. Also from Frontline, on PBS, there's a report about e-cycling in Africa.


It's always a good idea to see how other countries process e-waste, but some of this is going over the top .

Here's the 60 Minutes episode. "The Wasteland"
http://tinyurl.com/n93utt


And here's the Frontline episode. "Ghana: Digital Dumping Ground"
http://tinyurl.com/n7n9rd

Have fun recovering your PM's 8) , but do it in a sound and enviromentally safe way.

Gorfman

 

[stihl88]

I was going over some old posts and remembered seeing some investigative reporting from 60 Minutes, about e-cycling in China. Also from Frontline, on PBS, there's a report about e-cycling in Africa.


It's always a good idea to see how other countries process e-waste, but some of this is going over the top .

Here's the 60 Minutes episode. "The Wasteland"
http://tinyurl.com/n93utt


And here's the Frontline episode. "Ghana: Digital Dumping Ground"
http://tinyurl.com/n7n9rd

Have fun recovering your PM's 8) , but do it in a sound and enviromentally safe way.

Gorfman

Very sobering video (Frontline)......

 

[Gold Trail]

we do not export at my company