Electronic waste at new high, squandering gold, other metals – study

Electronic waste rose to a record 45-million tonnes worldwide in 2016, squandering valuable metals such as gold and copper since few trashed televisions, cellphones or other products get recycled, a UN-backed study showed on Wednesday. Rising incomes and falling prices for everything from solar panels to fridges drove up the amount of e-waste -- defined as anything with a plug or a battery -- by 8% from 41-million tonnes in the last assessment for 2014, it said.