In addition to these direct consequences of improper e-waste disposal, there also exists a high probability that items from e-waste shipments are used in counterfeit electronic components, which are in turn sold for use in consumer goods, aerospace systems, military applications, and sometimes in life-critical systems.
The EPA estimates that, in the US, "as little as 11 percent to 14 percent" of e-waste is sent to recyclers and 70 percent to 80 percent of that portion that is sent to recycling companies is shipped overseas to less developed nations, which often use extremely basic (and often dangerous) methods of component disassembly and material extraction.
