China absorbs close to 70% of global e-waste. More waste means more business potential.

Video CCTV

By CCTV Correspondent Teressa Siu
China has long been dubbed the graveyard for electronic waste. The United Nations Environmental Program estimates that China absorbs about 70 percent of the world’s unwanted devices but China is creating more e-waste of it’s own.
China’s very own e-waste is already astronomical and growing. This collector says more waste means more business potential.
"We are calling for the producers to be responsible. First not to use toxic waste, then to make ways to collect and dismantle the products at the end of their life." Ma Tianjie, Greenpeace said.

China’s love for electronics is infectious with sales growing exponentially between 1995 to 2011. Mobile phones topped sales at a quarter billion with air conditioners in second place.
"China’s silicon valley is growing fast and China’s people are becoming more IT savvy and image-conscious. Their desires for new gadgets could mean more potentials for e waste." Teressa Siu said.
Green experts warn of double trouble. Imported foreign e-waste is still rampant. Even discarded electronics by prominent US institutions could end up in China.
Mega million tons reportedly originate from Canada, US, Europe and Japan, and land in two of China’s largest dismantling centers: Taizhou, Zhejiang Province and Guiyu of Guangdong Province.
E-waste is often disguised as second-hand goods which can be then legally exported. Multiple and untraceable channels of illegal transportation make it difficult to calculate the exact volume of foreign e-waste to China. But ’informal’ trading is no doubt prevalent. Even if it means hours of leg work for this peddler who makes one yuan off this electric fan.
http://english.cntv.cn/program/china24/20130826/101891.shtml
26/8/13
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