E-waste, or electronic waste has become the fastest growing trash problem of modern society.
It has become a common problem where rich countries send old and retired electronics abroad to be disposed of. Electronics which become waste is called e-waste and it has become an ever growing problem in countries throughout Africa and Asia. Ghana and China receive a large amount of of America's and Europe's e-waste. E- waste creates a toxicity problem as electronics contain heavy metals and toxins which can leach out of the device after it is disposed of in the environment. This can lead to toxins leaching into the soils around dump sites where e-waste collection.
Often times, e-waste collects in landfills and e-waste dump sites where waste pickers scour the waste and collect the valuable minerals and components left in the devices. This can be dangerous because it involves direct contact with heavy metals which can be carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.
The majority of the United States and Canada's e-waste is sent to Hong Kong where it is distributed throughout China and Vietnam. Europe, on the other had, sends the majority of its e-waste to Africa, including countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Benin as well as India and Pakistan.
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