Cleaning Up the E-Waste Mess: Big Tech Needs to Do More
It’s unreasonable to expect that the problem of electronic waste the smartphones, laptops, monitors, and TVs crowding landfills around the globe can be solved at any scale by individuals. We need an industry-wide reckoning. By Chandra Steele
April 19, 2021, 6:30 p.m.
Men disassemble electronics in Ghana, in May 2019 (Photo by Christian Thompson/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
E-waste is one of the largest environmental problems the world faces. The amount of electronics that are disposed of each year is not fully quantified, but its impact is, in ever-accelerating climate change. As technology evolves, it exacerbates the problem with myriad new products. But it also can help with solutions.