Electronic devices must be recycled properly, said an article in the People's Daily (excerpts below).

According to the United Nations Environmental Programme, 50 million tons of electronic waste is produced every year, but only 10 percent gets recycled.

Discarded devices should be turned into resources. About 250 grams of gold can be extracted from every ton of cell phone.

Discarded phones also contain other precious materials.

Besides, without proper recycling these devices can harm the environment.

It is both necessary and economic to recycle electronic devices. Developed countries have regulations that require producers to deal with the waste.

China accounts for one quarter of all the 400 million discarded cell phones every year, but only less than 1 percent is recycled. Some developed countries even export electronic waste to developing countries.

More needs to be done. Discarded devices could be a mine of wealth.