What comes out of China, gets shipped right back... 75% of electronic waste from the developed world is shipped back to China, while only 10% are recycled. Harmful chemicals such as lead and mercury are emitted into the atmosphere, when these materials are being disposed of. Much of the so called recycled electronics equipment ends up being sent to developing countries. The US volume of “e-waste” is estimated to be between 5-7 million tons each year.