Through much of the 1990s, China was a dumping ground for electronic waste, a lot of it illegally imported from abroad. Everything from old computers to refrigerators flooded landfills and informal dumpsites, leaching toxic chemicals into the country’s soils and water. But over the last two decades, China has cultivated the creation of 100-plus licensed e-waste recycling companies. Today, these firms process an array of electronic components, including circuit boards, toner cartridges and liquid crystal displays. 

This prevents toxic chemicals like mercury from escaping into the environment while creating jobs for thousands. As of 2020, up to 50 per cent of electronic waste in China was recycled.

Information taken from the UN Environment Programme Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7), launched in December 2025, which explores everything from the health of coral reefs to the status of the ozone layer