"Where do cellphones go to die?"

This article from the New York Times, written by Leyla Acaroglu in May of this year highlights the wastefulness of American culture stating that, "Americans replace their cellphones every 22 months, junking some 150 million old phones in 2010 alone." Because technology in the form of small, portable electronic devices has been increasing dramatically in a short amount of time, the methods of dealing with it are still in their preliminary stages. The systems are so new that there are surely flaws and loopholes that result in the shipment of deceased electronics to impoverished countries.
If sustainable practices are not put into place, the consequences pose serious risks to our health and the health of the environment. The stories that are told are often those of impoverished people in "third-world" countries smashing, heating, and dismantling electronics without proper protection from the heavy metals such as  lead, cadmium and mercury. The threat is not just contained to those areas; it occurs here in the United States. For several years, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has kept inmates busy processing e-waste (link to discovery of unjust electronics recycling program in prisons).
Despite the United States intense demand for more electronics (using more resources), the government has been dragging its feet when it comes to passing responsible disposal laws. "The United States, for example, remains the only industrialized country that has not ratified the Basel Convention, an international treaty that makes it illegal to export or traffic in toxic e-waste," the article states. This allows business to continue as usual and impoverished people (especially children) to risk their already vulnerable health to make a little bit of money. 
Some places, like Japan and those affected by the European Union, "provide a model for industrial regulation that would shift the burden of safe product disposal back to the manufacturers that produce electronic goods. " If government doesn't step up to the plate when it comes to proper electronics waste disposal, then it is on the consumer to demand better "end-of-life" procedures.

Citation: 
Acaroglu, Leyla. Where do old cellphones go to die? The New York Times. May 2013.