Disturbing photos of the toxic graveyards where your old gadgets go to die

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-e-waste-in-developing-countries-2017-6
June 02, 2017 at 07:49PM

In 2014, the world produced more than 40 million metric tons of discarded electronic goods, or e-waste, according to a report from the United Nations research arm.

Many of our once-treasured gadgets end up in landfills where young men work in hazardous conditions to sort, recycle, and dispose of them.

Photographer Valentino Bellini documented the world's largest e-waste hubs in his series called The BIT ROT Project, which you can read more about here.

SEE ALSO: Alarming photos of the uninhabited island that's home to 37 million pieces of trash

Every few months, consumers hit the streets with the latest, fastest, smartest, and slickest gadgets in their pockets. But what happens when those shiny new toys go out of style?

Some end up in "e-waste" dumps like this one, in Lahore, Pakistan. In 2014, the world generated 41.8 million metric tons of e-waste, according to United Nations University.

Source: United Nations University

It is believed that less than one-sixth of the e-waste was properly recycled.

In some countries, legislation requires major corporations to collect, recycle, and dispose of e-waste in an environmentally responsible way. But these processes can be expensive.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider