Only a small percentage of the electronics waste  produced around the world is being properly disposed of in ways that would not pose a major threat to the environment or could be made useful by recycling. Dwarak Ravikumar, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, says lack of recycling is hindering efforts to create a circular economy in which old materials are used to produce useful new materials. Some of those unrecycled materials can become toxic and damage the natural environment. Ravikumar says the trend needs to be reversed toward recycling and reusing materials, and redesigning products, in ways that can both provide economic opportunities and protect the environment.