In China, waste electronic goods collection has grown into a full-fledged underground economy.

Small businesses that lack sophisticated infrastructure and expertise strip down the goods to recover components for second-hand equipment or to harvest valuable metals and raw materials.

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They often soak circuit boards, a major polluter, in strong acid that can contaminate the air and water, said the manager, requesting anonymity.

"From my observation, many peddlers just dump the leftovers after salvaging useful parts," said Wang Kun, who works at a large technology store in Jinan.

Solutions

Recyclers' calls for government support of small electronics disposal have been heard, as the National Development and Reform Commission is considering adding cell phones, batteries, printers, copiers, scanners and fluorescent lamps to the government subsidy program for recycling and safe disposal.

The draft proposal was made public in December 2013 by the commission to solicit opinions for one month.

In addition to motivating licensed recycling companies with funds, Xu suggested retailers offer "old-for-new" services to stimulate recovery of small electronic goods.

Consumers could also help with better recycling, said Zhang Ning, a Chinese-Australian who makes regular business trips to Jinan every year.

"In China, you can hardly find a formal channel to hand in redundant electronic items," she said, suggesting the government place bins exclusively for disposal of small gadgets, as has been done in some developed countries such as Australia and Germany.