FRONTLINE / World Your Digital Trash?

July 22, 2009

VIEW: A team of graduate journalism students at the University of British Columbia sleuthed this story, tracking for months America's electronic waste and where it's ending up.

In this excerpt, you'll see what happens with e-waste sent to China, where it's become big business. Fifty to eighty percent of this waste from the U.S., supposedly collected for "recycling," ends up in developing countries like China.

View the full report here. FRONTLINE/World's Web site also offers much more background on this increasingly troubling story.

5 Comments

COMMENTS

I have seen a similar piece about this on current TV's Vanguard series. Excellent dipiction of how this e-waste becomes a health hazard.

Lisa Adams / August 3, 2009 4:06 PM

This story shocked me. Next time I have to get rid of a computer, I will do the dismantling and smashing myself.
Frontline always brings the most comprehensive and compelling news.

D. Jackson / August 5, 2009 3:11 PM

I know the CBC (Canada) did an exact same story of how e-waste is being sent to China in mass numbers.

Jackie Chan / August 5, 2009 4:12 PM

I had seen the television report on Your Digital Trash? I find this horrific and I am wondering what I can do to alleviate sensitive information like tax return, (possibly medical information like electronic files) from getting into the wrong hands? Must we insist on retrieving this information from our computer hard drives?

Christopher Bayne / November 26, 2009 8:25 PM

I work for a computer charity in the UK. We look at reuse, by local people and charities who can't afford a computer before destruction. We wipe hard drives securely and separate usable items from waste and use our local recycling plant for stuff we can't reuse. We take a small donation from people dropping stuff off, its not a free service (we pay the recycling plant). Even though we now have laws in the EU about electronic waste many people have taken personal responsibility for how they get rid of old equipment. The upside is huge, volunteers learn how to rebuild systems and install software, local groups and poor families get a good PC, our reclamation partner recovers 90% of materials, plastics, minerals and metals. If you need to get rid of electrical waste use a local charity and be prepared to pay a small donation, its well worth it.

S. Marshall / November 29, 2009 9:13 AM

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Editors' Notes