Recycling Now A Major Industry

Remember when only the hippies were worried about recycling?  And took no small grief for it, too.  No more

In Taiwan a cavernous warehouse under construction represents the new priorities for an island where the streets were once littered with piles of discarded electronics and other refuse.

At the clean and tidy construction site, building materials are stacked neatly and even workers’ cigarette butts are carefully collected. The surroundings are designed to evoke a Roman villa, with lagoon, garden and canopies. The energy-saving shade tiles are made out of old CDs, DVDs and computer motherboards.

It is the latest expansion effort in a vast industrial park that recycles electronics, glass, plastics, paper and just about anything than can be reused or mined for materials. When the warehouse project is complete, Super Dragon Technology, one of the island’s biggest recyclers, will be able to securely store gold and other precious metals.

E-Waste Dumping around the World

An absolutely scandalous report from 60 Minutes about illegal e-waste dumping in China. We have posted stuff about technological dumping before but nothing quite this immediate and damning.

The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition is one place to turn to for more information, and action.

The NRDC, which has a spokesperson in the 60 Minutes piece, also has further information.