We all depend on our devices – for work, for school, for staying connected with friends and family, and keeping up with daily life. When the latest model of phones, laptops, tablets and other gadgets become available, we are often tempted to upgrade, even if our current device works just fine. Big companies rely on this constant cycle of consumer desire for the next best thing to drive their massive profits. But with that comes the increasing problem of electronic waste, or e-waste. When we upgrade to the latest model, what happens to the old one?

The answer is that discarded electronics end up in landfills or are shipped off to developing countries, often in spite of going through proper recycling channels. The burden of managing the environmental consequences of this waste disproportionately falls on poorer countries. Below, we discuss the devastating impacts of e-waste and the environmental crisis it has caused, and the efforts to mitigate the harmful effects.

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