Toxic Treasures

Toxic TreasuresToxic TreasuresToxic Treasures
Home
History of Coltan
History of E-Waste
Facts of E-Waste
Steps to a Solution

Toxic Treasures

Toxic TreasuresToxic TreasuresToxic Treasures
Home
History of Coltan
History of E-Waste
Facts of E-Waste
Steps to a Solution
More
  • Home
  • History of Coltan
  • History of E-Waste
  • Facts of E-Waste
  • Steps to a Solution
  • Home
  • History of Coltan
  • History of E-Waste
  • Facts of E-Waste
  • Steps to a Solution

How E-Waste Fuels a Global Crisis:

How E-Waste Fuels a Global Crisis:How E-Waste Fuels a Global Crisis:How E-Waste Fuels a Global Crisis:

The exploitation of coltan and other resources of the Congo and the labor of its people

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Who We Are

Our Vision

Toxic Treasures was created as a movement to spread awareness about the widespread exploitation of resources and conflict occurring in the Congo. The mining of coltan and flippant waste of electronic devices not only fuels this exploitation, but unsafe dumping in other countries.

Defining the Terms

Throughout this piece, two terms will be used more than any other: coltan and e-waste.

Coltan

Coltan is short for columbite-tantalite, a black, dull metallic ore. When refined, it becomes a heat resistant powder that works very well to store electrical charges in items such as phones, laptops, computers, and other electronic devices. 80% of the world's coltan is found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where, in many cases, forced human labor is utilized to obtain the ore.

E-Waste

E-waste refers to discarded electronic appliances such as phones, computers, and televisions. Every year millions of electronic and electrical devices are thrown out as new products take the spotlight and old items become obsolete. These devices are what is called e-waste, and have the potential to become hazardous to human health and the environment if not recycled properly.

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