With the swelling use of tablets, laptops, smartphones and other technologies that keep us connected come concerns over what happens when those gadgets are discarded for the latest model. According to the Solving the E-Waste Problem (StEP) Initiative, technology users are poised to produce 65.4 million tonnes of e-waste in 2017.
That's a dire scenario, since e-waste is known to be exported to nations where people lack the skills to safely convert discarded electronic components into new working products or extract the valuable metals they contain. Dismantling electronics without proper know-how can release chemicals that are harmful to people and the environment.
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