Most electronic waste gives a negative impact on the environment by releasing materials such as lead, mercury or cadmium into the soil, groundwater, and atmosphere.
Many materials used in the construction of computer hardware can be recovered in the recycling process for use in future production. Reuse of tin, Silicon, iron, aluminum and a variety of — all present in bulk in computers — can reduce the costs of constructing new systems. In addition, components frequently contain copper, gold, and other materials valuable enough to reclaim in their own right.
A major computer recycling concern is export of waste to countries with lower environmental standards. Companies may find it cost-effective in the short term to sell outdated computers to less developed countries with lax regulations. It is commonly believed that a majority of surplus laptops are routed to developing nations as "dumping grounds for e-waste". The high value of working and reusable laptops, computers, and components (e.g., RAM) can help pay the cost of transportation for a large number of needed "commodities".
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