Find the money (Image: Andrew McConnell/Panos)
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IT STINKS. A two-year investigation into Europe鈥檚 electronic waste found that most of it is stolen, mismanaged, illegally traded or thrown into landfill.
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The European Union has guidelines on how to dispose of unwanted electronics, carefully recycling the components of equipment such as computers, household appliances and medical devices. But according to a report by the United Nations University and INTERPOL, only 35 per cent of such waste conformed in 2012.
Criminals absconded from Europe with 1.3 million tonnes of equipment, such as laptops, circuit boards and valuable components from fridges. An additional 4.7 million tonnes of electronics were mismanaged or illegally traded inside Europe.
The loss of functional components or the precious metals inside costs the European Union up to 鈧�1.7 billion each year, the report says. It also means that toxic materials aren鈥檛 being disposed of safely.
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淪hame of Europe鈥檚 e-waste鈥�