China's booming middle class drives Asia's toxic e-waste mountains

Sharp rise in discarded electronic goods is generating millions of tonnes of hazardous waste, putting pressure on valuable resources, study shows

Asia's mountains of hazardous electronic trash, or e-waste, are growing rapidly, new research reveals, with China leading the way.

A record 16m tonnes of electronic trash, containing both toxic and valuable materials, were generated in a single year - up 63% in five years, new analysis looking at 12 countries in east and south-east Asia shows.