Gold in them bins

E-waste is a growing problem in the U.S. and around the world. Some material found in electronics equipment can be highly valuable, such as the copper and gold-plated scraps seen here. Other gear, such as TVs and cathode ray tubes, doesn't contain as much value and is hard to recycle, particularly by manual processes.

This slideshow will show the operations of Metech Recycling in Worcester, Mass, which is an e-Stewards-certified recycler. That means all the material is handled in the U.S. and processed by a network of audited scrap handlers. Some companies have invested in high-tech automation to sort and shred e-waste, but Metech manually takes things apart which allows them to deliver a uniform product to metal smelters.

See related article, "Where electronics go to die, responsibly."