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E-waste is given out from rich countries to poor ones each year up to 50 million metric tons, which means a billion pounds. This is damaging to the environment in the worst way because the effects are hard to recover from. Most of the e-waste goes to China, Vietnam, Ghana, India, Pakistan, and others. There is a lot of informative material available regarding the issue.
The non-profits initiatives like Basel Action Network (www.ban.org) are doing are good job at spreading awareness and asking people to take measures to solve the problem. When it comes to sustainability of the environment, sustainability is the most prominent aspect of the whole debate. It is central to the whole discussion of how e-waste or waste of any kind to the environment is properly disposed. But to take measures against e-waste is an effort not just at the level of the extent of knowledge on the issue, but also and more so at the political and policy making level.
The laws are difficult to get passed because there generates a debate on both sides of the issue, which is good for bringing forward various views, but is bad as it keeps the issue itself stagnant. The proponents of protecting poor countries against e-waste are asking for a ban to export it from countries like United States and elsewhere in Europe. Another means is to recycle electronics rather than just throw out the unwanted used material.
