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JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The waste from discarded electronic gadgets and appliances has reached severe levels in East Asia, posing a growing threat to health and the environment unless safe disposal becomes the norm.
According to a study by the United Nations University, China was the biggest culprit with its electronic waste more than doubling. But nearly every country in the region had massive increases between 2010 and 2015, including those least equipped to deal with the growing mountain of discarded smartphones, computers, TVs, air conditioners and other goods.
On average, electronic waste in the 12 countries increased by nearly two thirds in the five years, totaling 12.3 million tons in 2015 alone.
Factors driving the increases include rising incomes in Asia, burgeoning populations of young adults and rapid obsolescence of old products.