E-waste also contains toxic and hazardous materials including mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium, chromium, and chemical flame retardants, which have the potential to leach into our soil and water. Safe recycling of outdated electronics promotes sound management of toxic chemicals such as lead and mercury. Helps others.

A recycling centre for discarded electronics will be built in Sharjah, and its operator hopes to open more around the country.

The UAE generates one of the region?s biggest amounts of electronics waste, chemicals from which can seep into the soil to aquifers and the food that uses their water to grow.

Constant technological advancements means that older devices become obsolete at an ever-increasing rate. The need for computer and electronic recycling is higher than ever before and will only continue to rise

Recycling e-waste is lucrative as motherboards and circuitry use precious metals such as gold, which can be extracted and sold.

More gold can be derived from e-waste than mining ore. E-waste generation in the GCC was estimated to be 600,000 tonnes in 2015, which is expected to reach 900,000 tonnes in 2020.

Before, the UAE had companies that would collect e-waste and send it abroad to plants in places such as Singapore. The project will cover the entire process, from collection to on-site precious metal extraction. A completion date has yet to be announced.

For further information please visit: http://www.thenational.ae/uae/environment/20170118/recycling-plant-for-electronics-to-be-built-in-sharjah-with-more-to-come