Shoppers and vendors crowd the street in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A man sits on a scooter with shells of home appliances loaded on the back of his bike in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A waste worker fills out paperwork after dropping off a bag of copper at a recycling shop in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bao Loc eats his lunch in his shop packed with refurbished gear motors in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
An e -waste collector uses a cleaver to remove copper wire from a device in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A woman hauls a cart full of cardboard for recycling as the sun sets in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Used charging cables and power adapters are piled up at a shop in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A boy in a school uniform sits next to a vendor selling used remote controls for various home appliances in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Used laptops and other refurbished electronic devices are for sale in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Truong Huu Co removes plastic components from a washing machine in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. The world is producing more electronic waste than ever. And it's growing faster than formal efforts to recycle it. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Vendors toast with beer, with piles of used electronic devices behind them, in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A man sitting on a scooter purchases a used remote control for a home appliance from a vendor in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. The world is producing more electronic waste than ever. And it's growing faster than formal efforts to recycle it. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Used remote controls for various home appliances are lit by afternoon sunlight in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A Buddha head statue sits atop used electronic devices while shoppers browse for items at Nhat Tao Market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A technician repairs a TV in a shop in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024. The world is producing more electronic waste than ever. And it's growing faster than formal efforts to recycle it. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Shoppers crowd the street in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A shopper attempts to untangle used wired earphones in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A vendor selling used remote controls for various home appliances takes a nap in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Tu Chi Vy tiptoes through his shop packed with refurbished motors in Nhat Tao Market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A worker tosses the shell of an air conditioner onto a pile after disassembling it in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024. The world is producing more electronic waste than ever. And it's growing faster than formal efforts to recycle it. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Waste workers load casings of various home appliances onto their trucks in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. Less than a quarter of electronic waste was properly collected and recycled in 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A technician works on an audio device in his repair shop in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Used smartphone batteries for sale are scattered on a tarp in Nhat Tao market, the largest informal recycling market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)