South Korea is dealing with increasing amounts of waste from electronic devices. These useless or unwanted parts are often called "e-waste."
韩国正在应付电子设备产生的越来越多的垃圾。这些毫无价值的零件通常被称之为电子垃圾。

Tons of old computers, telephones and other devices are often taken to landfills and buried under the ground. Now, some local governments in South Korea are launching special e-waste recycling programs.
大量旧电脑、电话和其它设备通常被运到垃圾填埋场填埋。现在，韩国一些地方政府开始推出特种电子垃圾回收计划。

The city of Seoul throws out about 10 tons of e-waste each year. About 20 percent of that goes to the Seoul Resource Center, also known as the SR Center. There, electronic devices are taken apart so that valuable metals like gold or copper can be extracted and reused.
首尔市每年要丢弃大约10万吨电子垃圾。其中20%来到了首尔资源回收中心。各种电子设备在这里被拆解，这样金或铜等有价值的金属可以被提取再利用。

Ji Un-geun is the chief executive officer of the SR Center. He says reusing electronic parts is not only about earning profits. He says the goal is to protect the environment.
Ji Un-geun是首尔资源回收中心的首席执行官。他说，回收电子零件不仅仅是为了盈利，也是为了是保护环境。

He says, "Our planet has a limited amount of natural resources. Our company contributes to a sustainable society, by conserving these materials."
他说，“地球上的自然资源有限。我们公司通过节约这些材料来为社会可持续发展做贡献。”

Ji Un-Geun says about 90 percent of what is brought to the center will be used on other products.
Ji Un-geun表示，90%被运到这里的电子垃圾都将用于其它产品。

The increase of e-waste is not only a concern in South Korea. The United Nations says millions of tons of e-waste end up in developing countries. Toxic materials like lead and mercury can create a severe health risk to the local population.
不断增长的电子垃圾不仅是韩国的一大担忧。联合国表示，千百万吨电子垃圾最终流入了发展中国家。铅和汞等有毒物质给当地居民构成了严重的健康威胁。

The Seoul city government partnered with the SR Center to collect e-waste in 2009.
首尔市政府于2009年开始同首尔资源回收中心合作回收电子垃圾。

Lee Tae-hong lives in the South Korean capital. He says recycling is also about protecting personal information from attack.
Lee Tae-hong生活在韩国首都首尔。他说，回收电子产品还能保护个人信息。

But some environmental groups say not enough is being done to limit the amount of electronics sent to landfills. South Koreans keep buying more and more electronic gadgets. Some experts estimate that only 21 percent of the country's total e-waste gets properly recycled.
但一些环保团体表示，在限制运往垃圾填埋场的电子产品数量上我们所做的远远不够。韩国人还在继续购买更多的电子器件。有专家估计，韩国只有21%的电子垃圾得到了妥善回收。

Lee Joo-hong is with the Green Consumers Network. He says the average South Korean buys a new mobile phone every 18 months. He says companies offer special deals to buy new products.
Lee Joo-hong就职于绿色消费网络。他说，普通韩国人每18个月购买一台新手机。他说，各公司都提供购买新产品的特价优惠。

Ji Un-geun agrees with Lee Joo-hong. He says that consumer behavior is a big reason why old phones continue to appear at the recycling center. But he says he is doing his part to reduce that.
Ji Un-geun同意Lee Joo-hong的观点。他说，消费者行为是旧手机不断出现到这个回收中心的一大原因。但他表示，他正在尽自己的一份努力来减少这一现象。

He says, "I have had this same phone for 10 years. It is what I can do to help conserve our natural resources"
他说，“我这台手机已经用了十年了。这就是我为了保护自然环境所能做的。”

He says that more South Korean cities need to start their own recycling programs to keep up with the increasing amount of e-waste.
他说，更多韩国城市需要开始他们自己的回收计划，以应对越来越多的电子垃圾。