Green Daily

Think dropping off an old computer, TV or cell phone at a designated electronics recycling site is a good thing? Think again. Activists estimate that 50 to 80 percent of the 300,000 to 800,000 tons of electronics collected for recycling in the U.S. each year end up overseas in countries such as China, India and Nigeria. Working people then use tools and their own hands to pick out metals, glass and other recyclable pieces, from a cauldron of toxic chemicals, endangering their own health and their environments.

Most of the U.S. electronic waste currently goes to landfills, but many states are banning that practice, leaving a void.

What's the answer? Many activists believe that manufacturers should have to take back and recycle their own products. This would encourage companies to make products that were easier to recycle and contain less toxic chemicals. Eight states have already passed such laws. This sounds like a good solution; let's just hope that the manufacturers recycle in a responsible manner.