China Deals With Growing Electronic Waste Challenge

China has made strides in the past five years to improve electrical waste and electronic equipment practices that are harmful to the environment, but recycling, the central government said, can do more to help businesses.

The central government has made concerted efforts to shut down unsafe and unregulated electronic waste disposal operations, especially in “e-waste villages” like Guiyu in eastern Guangdong province in South China. Officials recently shuttered all informal electronics processing at Guiyu and required trade shops to relocate to an industrial park set up to recycle waste electronics.

In addition, China has banned imports of waste electronic ...