Recycling of electronic items a 'success story' with footnotes

Electronics are being recycled in record numbers as more states require it and more companies collect and even pay for discarded items, but the gains come with controversy. Some environmentalists complain that recycling is not keeping pace with electronics sales. Some say e-waste is being dumped in developing countries, where toxic materials such as lead and mercury can leach from landfills into groundwater. "It is a success story, but we'd like to see it get more successful" to keep up with the electronics boom, says Janette Petersen of the Environmental Protection Agency.