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DUKAS_190018787_ZUM
Plastic Factory in Dhaka
October 16, 2025, Dhaka, Bangladesh: A worker transports sacks of discarded plastic bags near the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Credit Image: © Joy Saha/ZUMA Press Wire (FOTO: DUKAS/ZUMA)
Represented by ZUMA Press, Inc. -
DUKAS_189952847_ZUM
Plastic Bottle Recycling in Bangladesh
October 14, 2025, Dhaka, Bangladesh: Workers sort used plastic bottles in a recycling factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh. They help to prevent the bottles from being discarded, sent to landfill, where they can take 1,000 years to biodegrade, or incinerated, which produces toxic fumes. The emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases will be reduced if recycling takes place in the production of new plastics. This small yet significant act supports environmental sustainability by promoting a responsible cycle of reuse, reducing the strain on natural resources, and safeguarding our ecosystem for future generations. (Credit Image: © Joy Saha/ZUMA Press Wire (FOTO: DUKAS/ZUMA)
Represented by ZUMA Press, Inc. -
DUKAS_189402677_NUR
Kolkata Durga Puja Festival 2025
People visit a 'pandal' (temporary structure for worship), decorated with used plastic bottles, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga. This year's theme is the Prevention of Plastic Pollution in Kolkata, India, on September 28, 2025, ahead of the Durga Puja festival. (Photo by Debajyoti Chakraborty/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_189402675_NUR
Kolkata Durga Puja Festival 2025
People visit a 'pandal' (temporary structure for worship), decorated with used plastic bottles, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga. This year's theme is the Prevention of Plastic Pollution in Kolkata, India, on September 28, 2025, ahead of the Durga Puja festival. (Photo by Debajyoti Chakraborty/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_189402669_NUR
Kolkata Durga Puja Festival 2025
People visit a 'pandal' (temporary structure for worship), decorated with used plastic bottles, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga. This year's theme is the Prevention of Plastic Pollution in Kolkata, India, on September 28, 2025, ahead of the Durga Puja festival. (Photo by Debajyoti Chakraborty/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_189003616_NUR
Waste Sorting Facility
A high pile of stacked newspapers is in a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Sofia, Bulgaria, on August 21, 2025. (Photo by STR/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_189003599_NUR
Waste Sorting Facility
Female workers sort paper waste on a waste recycling conveyor in a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Sofia, Bulgaria, on August 21, 2025. (Photo by STR/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_189003597_NUR
Waste Sorting Facility
Female workers sort paper waste on a waste recycling conveyor in a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Sofia, Bulgaria, on August 21, 2025. (Photo by STR/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_189003583_NUR
Waste Sorting Facility
Female workers sort paper waste on a waste recycling conveyor in a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Sofia, Bulgaria, on August 21, 2025. (Photo by STR/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_188937857_NUR
Daily Life In Krakow
KRAKOW, POLAND – SEPTEMBER 16:
Tables made from old sewing machines are seen outside a pub in Krakow’s Kazimierz district, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, on September 16, 2025. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_188937837_NUR
Daily Life In Krakow
KRAKOW, POLAND – SEPTEMBER 16:
Tables made from old sewing machines are seen outside a pub in Krakow’s Kazimierz district, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, on September 16, 2025. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_188747974_NUR
Plastic Pollution In India
Workers sort plastic bottles, which are used to make a temporary place of worship called Pandel for the upcoming Durga Puja festival in Kolkata, India, on September 12, 2025. The organizers try to raise awareness about plastic pollution that plagues the oceans of the world through the use of recycled plastic bottles in a pandel this Durga Puja. (Photo by Debarchan Chatterjee/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_188747968_NUR
Plastic Pollution In India
Workers sort plastic bottles, which are used to make a temporary place of worship called Pandel for the upcoming Durga Puja festival in Kolkata, India, on September 12, 2025. The organizers try to raise awareness about plastic pollution that plagues the oceans of the world through the use of recycled plastic bottles in a pandel this Durga Puja. (Photo by Debarchan Chatterjee/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_188747926_NUR
Plastic Pollution In India
Workers sort plastic bottles, which are used to make a temporary place of worship called Pandel for the upcoming Durga Puja festival in Kolkata, India, on September 12, 2025. The organizers try to raise awareness about plastic pollution that plagues the oceans of the world through the use of recycled plastic bottles in a pandel this Durga Puja. (Photo by Debarchan Chatterjee/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_188747922_NUR
Plastic Pollution In India
Workers sort plastic bottles, which are used to make a temporary place of worship called Pandel for the upcoming Durga Puja festival in Kolkata, India, on September 12, 2025. The organizers try to raise awareness about plastic pollution that plagues the oceans of the world through the use of recycled plastic bottles in a pandel this Durga Puja. (Photo by Debarchan Chatterjee/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_188747919_NUR
Plastic Pollution In India
Workers sort plastic bottles, which are used to make a temporary place of worship called Pandel for the upcoming Durga Puja festival in Kolkata, India, on September 12, 2025. The organizers try to raise awareness about plastic pollution that plagues the oceans of the world through the use of recycled plastic bottles in a pandel this Durga Puja. (Photo by Debarchan Chatterjee/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_188747916_NUR
Plastic Pollution In India
Workers sort plastic bottles, which are used to make a temporary place of worship called Pandel for the upcoming Durga Puja festival in Kolkata, India, on September 12, 2025. The organizers try to raise awareness about plastic pollution that plagues the oceans of the world through the use of recycled plastic bottles in a pandel this Durga Puja. (Photo by Debarchan Chatterjee/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_188747912_NUR
Plastic Pollution In India
Workers sort plastic bottles, which are used to make a temporary place of worship called Pandel for the upcoming Durga Puja festival in Kolkata, India, on September 12, 2025. The organizers try to raise awareness about plastic pollution that plagues the oceans of the world through the use of recycled plastic bottles in a pandel this Durga Puja. (Photo by Debarchan Chatterjee/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_188747909_NUR
Plastic Pollution In India
Workers sort plastic bottles, which are used to make a temporary place of worship called Pandel for the upcoming Durga Puja festival in Kolkata, India, on September 12, 2025. The organizers try to raise awareness about plastic pollution that plagues the oceans of the world through the use of recycled plastic bottles in a pandel this Durga Puja. (Photo by Debarchan Chatterjee/NurPhoto) -
DUKAS_188614580_ZUM
Dangerous Business Of Burning Aluminum Foil
September 8, 2025, Dhaka, Bangladesh: Recycling workers endure hazardous conditions to extract reusable materials from aluminum foil. This process involves burning foil collected from industrial and domestic waste streams in makeshift chimneys. The practice, while providing a livelihood for the workers, poses significant risks to both human health and the environment due to toxic emissions and the absence of safety measures. (Credit Image: © Joy Saha/ZUMA Press Wire (FOTO: DUKAS/ZUMA)
Represented by ZUMA Press, Inc. -
DUKAS_173188220_EYE
How a monk and a Hippo joined forces to tackle Bangkok’s plastic pollution
Desperate to restore the Chao Praya River to a pristine state, an abbot in the Thai capital began recycling in his temple. Now he has a floating ally in his efforts to clean up the river.
The Chao Phraya River is the largest waterway flowing through central Thailand.
In Bangkok, it is an artery for a network of water buses, ferries and wooden long-tail boats. But it's not just carrying people. According to research by the Rotterdam-based non-profit organisation Ocean Cleanup, the Chao Praya River carries 4,000 tonnes of plastic waste to the sea every year.
Workers sew orange robes for monks from fabric made from recycled plastic at Wat Chak Daeng on July 30, 2024 in Bangkok. The HIPPO project by Seven Clean Seas, in collaboration with Wat Chak Daeng temple, uses a solar-powered vessel to collect plastic waste from Bangkok's Chao Phraya River and recycles it to reduce environmental pollution. Phra Mahapranom Dhammalangkaro, the abbot, leads a project at Wat Chak Daeng that turns plastic waste into monk robes, upcycling around 40 tons of plastic since 2015 and serving as a model for environmental conservation.
Lauren DeCicca / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
Photo by Lauren DeCicca -
DUKAS_156237534_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
An employee plastic wraps microwaves and loaded on pallets at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237597_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Piles of shredded copper at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237537_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Shredded plastic on a conveyor belt at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237583_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Buckets for brass, copper and batteries at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237508_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Shredded plastic on a conveyor belt at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237527_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Shredded plastic on a conveyor belt at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237538_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Shredded plastic on a conveyor belt at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237585_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Shredded plastic on a conveyor belt at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237519_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Computers are plastic wrapped and stored on pallets at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237614_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Cords and cables are piled in boxes at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237592_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Computers are plastic wrapped and stored on pallets at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237533_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
TV’s are plastic wrapped and stored on pallets at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237613_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Aaron Blum, Co-Founder / Chief Operating and Compliance Officer of ERI (Electronic Recyclers International), poses for a portrait at the ERI Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237591_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Aaron Blum, Co-Founder / Chief Operating and Compliance Officer of ERI (Electronic Recyclers International), poses for a portrait at the ERI Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237520_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Employee jumpsuits and helmets at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237530_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Employees socialize at the end of their shift at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237610_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Electronic waste is piled up at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237611_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Aaron Blum, Co-Founder / Chief Operating and Compliance Officer of ERI (Electronic Recyclers International), poses for a portrait at the ERI Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237514_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Aaron Blum, Co-Founder / Chief Operating and Compliance Officer of ERI (Electronic Recyclers International), poses for a portrait at the ERI Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237595_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Aaron Blum, Co-Founder / Chief Operating and Compliance Officer of ERI (Electronic Recyclers International), poses for a portrait at the ERI Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237589_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Aaron Blum, Co-Founder / Chief Operating and Compliance Officer of ERI (Electronic Recyclers International), poses for a portrait at the ERI Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237615_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Super sacks are filled with precious metals (gold, silver and palladium), aluminum, steel, plastic and copper, at finished goods commodity section of the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237517_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
TV’s are loaded onto pallets at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237513_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Employees sort through electronic waste beside the shredder at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237516_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Employees sort through electronic waste beside the shredder at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237529_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
TV’s are loaded onto pallets at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237528_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Employees sort through electronic waste beside the shredder at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237536_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Employees sort through electronic waste beside the shredder at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_156237535_EYE
'I spot brand new TVs, here to be shredded': the truth about our electronic waste
In a giant factory in California, thousands of screens, PCs and other old or unwanted gadgets are picked apart for materials. But what about the billions of other defunct (or not) devices?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (better known by its unfortunate acronym, Weee) is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Electronic waste amounted to 53.6m tonnes in 2019, a figure growing at about 2% a year. Consider: in 2021, tech companies sold an estimated 1.43bn smartphones, 341m computers, 210m TVs and 548m pairs of headphones. And that's ignoring the millions of consoles, sex toys, electric scooters and other battery-powered devices we buy every year.
Globally, only 17.4% of electronic waste is recycled. Between 7% and 20% is exported, 8% thrown into landfills and incinerators in the global north, and the rest is unaccounted for. Yet Weee is, by weight, among the most precious waste there is. One piece of electronic equipment can contain 60 elements, from copper and aluminium to rarer metals such as cobalt and tantalum, used in everything from motherboards to gyroscopic sensors. A typical iPhone, for example, contains 0.018g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and a tiny fraction of platinum. Multiply by the sheer quantity of devices and the impact is vast: a single recycler in China, GEM, produces more cobalt than the country’s mines each year. The materials in our e-waste - including up to 7% of the world's gold reserves - are worth £50.9bn a year.
Employees sort through electronic waste beside the shredder at the ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) Recycling Facility. Fresno, Calafornia - May 23, 2023:
© Philip Cheung / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
E: info@eyevine.com
http://www.eyevine.com
(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
