Going, going… gone: electronic devices disappear after use

In many ways, we are living in a golden age of electronics and technological innovation, including science, medicine and the gadgets that comprise our daily lives. The average United States household had 24 electronic gadgets in 2011.  The downside to being so plugged in is an environmental catastrophe, both in terms of usurped electricity and the waste (e-waste) that accompanies the life cycle of these products.  The UN Environment Programme estimates that worldwide e-waste could...