We posted recently about efforts to recycle mobile phones and other electronics. In many cases, recycling means reuse -- phones and computers and such are refurbished and put back into service in the developing world. One of the commenters, however, made an excellent point: this doesn't get rid of the toxic metals in the hardware, just pushes it into the hands of countries which may be less able to handle the waste.
Now comes word of "African Sky," an electronic waste recycling company based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company will collect computers, cell phones, switchboards and the like from business clients, recycling the plastics and metal locally, and sending other components to their partner company, Citiraya, described as the world's largest electronics recycling group.
The primary investment for African Sky came from Vuthela, a South African "empowerment" organization owned in part by musician Johnny Clegg.