From TechRepublic:
Computer-related waste remains a local and global problem, despite the progress made over the last few years.
More and more PCs are recycled, but some estimates say that 80 percent of the electronic waste slated for recycling in the U.S. is shipped overseas to be taken apart by low-wage workers, according to the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition.
Some vendors and recycling organizations do a very good job of recovering PCs and monitors for proper disposal, but there’s no nationally accepted method for dealing with electronic waste, and the U.S. government chose not to sign the Basel Convention prohibiting the dumping of hazardous waste on developing nations.