How E-Waste Fuels a Global Crisis:
The exploitation of coltan and other resources of the Congo and the labor of its people
The exploitation of coltan and other resources of the Congo and the labor of its people

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