A Hazardous Afterlife

Americans have a voracious appetite for new technology, but it comes with a cost not included on the price tag: electronic waste is the fastest-growing part of the garbage stream. Much of the equipment contains toxic substances, like mercury, lead and cadmium. And once in landfills and incinerators, the poisons are on their way into soil, water tables and the air. The problem can be controlled, but only if everyone commits to recycling.