Vapes, chargers, and other “invisible” e-waste are a 9-million-ton problem.::Chargers, vapes, and other small electronics make up millions of tons of “invisible” e-waste each year. Recycling them could recover billions of dollars worth of precious materials.
Yeah, it’s not environmentally friendly, that’s for sure.
Most of the issue with mining though, come from exposing buried rock to the atmosphere, or from the tailings (crushed, processed rock)