Sustainable development goal target 12.5 is to reduce waste. But with a planet increasingly dependent on technology, is that even possible? As of today, over 30m tonnes of electronic waste has been thrown out so far this year, according to the World Counts. Most e-waste is sent to landfills in Asia and Africa where it is recycled by hand, exposing the people who do it to environmental hazards. Kai Loeffelbein’s photographs of e-waste recycling in Guiyu, southern China show what happens to discarded computers. (Photo by Kai Loeffelbein/laif Agentur)

Sumo wrestlers of Nishonoseki clan appeal to the winner of a training bout for the next opponent during a joint training session ahead of the May Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo May 2, 2015. (Photo by Toru Hanai/Reuters)

Few people haven’t heard about the ancient city of Persepolis, which lies at the foot of the Mountain of Mercy (Kuh-I-Rahmat). In ancient times, Persepolis was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. Regretfully, it was burned by the Greeks in 330 BC after they looted the immense treasure of this city. It is said that Greeks needed 5,000 camels and 20,000 mules to carry all the treasures from Persepolis. The only thing of Persepolis that has survived the wear of time is the ginormous stone terrace 530 by 330 meters adorned by elaborate stone sculptures. It is amazing how intricately detailed some of the sculptures are, despite the fact that they were created many centuries ago.

People observe a 1947 Mercury during the 25th edition of the "1000 millas sport e historicos" (1000 miles sports and classic) race in Montevideo, October 28, 2015. The race will cover 1000 miles from 28 to 31 of October. (Photo by Andres Stapff/Reuters)

“Wong Maye-E joined AP as a staff photographer in 2003. Based in Singapore, Maye-E's work is centered around Sports reportage, entertainment, politics, and regional news stories. Maye-E has covered headlining events such as the 2014 World Cup, Thailand political protests, and the devastation of the Philippines Typhoon”. – Associated Press. Photo: A baby black howler monkey (Alouatta caraya) clings onto its mother's back on Thursday January 29, 2009 in Singapore where it's national zoo is actively involved in the conservation and education of wildlife reserves. (Photo by Wong Maye-E/AP Photo)

Grand Rapids (Michigan) based illustrator and artist Scott Gundersen creates his portraits from thousands of used and recycled corks. Starting with a large photograph that’s transferred to a drawing, Gundersen pins each cork to the canvas, creating a correlation between the hues of the wine-stained corks and the value of light or shadow in the portrait. Scott Gundersen has made these incredible portraits, one using 3,621, 3,842 and the other using 9,217 natural wine corks.

Kim Leuenberger is a Swiss photographer with a love for travel. She believes we are all explorers and is currently studying photography at University of the Arts London. These photos are from her series, “Traveling Cars Adventures”. Photo: “Lover of the Light”, Red Union Jack Mini Cooper, Bern, Switzerland, October 2012. (Photo by Kim Leuenberger)

A man looks at waves as they crash against a lighthouse in the northern Spanish village of Viavelez, Spain January 13, 2017. (Photo by Eloy Alonso/Reuters)