Sunday, August 30, 2009

The Wasteland


Watch CBS Videos Online
The Wasteland. About American e-waste ending up in China. The lead solder is melted off and sold, while giving off dioxins, and the gold is leached out using cyanide. Don't miss the ending with the American business owner complaining about how "you're ruining America's small businesses by not having all of your facts straight."

H/T @thecajunboy

2 comments:

Peripatetic Engineer said...

Back in the late '80s the oil field had a problem with NORM contaminated pipe and process equipment. Some entrepeneur organized a ship and collected all the NORM contaminated stuff for shipment to China's who would melt it down in their steel mills. Abracadabra, problem solved!

Clay said...

Problem "solved" indeed.

I wonder how much of that recycled steel ended up back in the US in, say, children's toys.