The battle against global e-waste dumping reaches tipping point

[Sherman A1]

Switzerland is pushing to modify an international accord so that all electric and electronic waste shipped abroad gets prior consent from destination countries. Not everyone is on board.

The Agbogbloshie dump on the outskirts of Accra in Ghana is where a lot of the world’s electric and electronic waste comes to die. Scavengers sift through discarded washing machines or computers in the hope of extracting meagre amounts of copper, aluminum or even plastic that have not yet been stripped off by others.

Extraction often involves melting the carcasses of microwaves and tumble dryers, a process that releases clouds of toxic smoke and fumes into the surroundings. One man’s treasure is also the same man’s poison.

Some of the e-waste that is burnt in Agbogbloshie includes once-cherished possessions of households in Europe or the United States. It is estimated that around 15% of the 215,000 tonnes of electric and electronic goods imported into Ghana are classified as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) or e-waste. This includes electrical goods like washing machines and microwaves as well as electronic gadgets like computers and smartphones. They are not meant for repair or refurbishing but can contain valuable metals. This is allowed as long as the WEEE does not contain hazardous substances.

However, 85% of imported goods that end up in Agbogbloshie is not e-waste but what is known as used electric and electronic equipment (UEEE), like an old model smartphone or one with a broken screen. The high cost of repairing or recycling broken-down or obsolete goods has made it an attractive option to ship them to far-flung corners of the world. On paper, they are meant to be repaired and resold as second-hand goods at affordable prices in the destination countries. In reality, most are stripped for their valuable components and metals and dumped in Agbogbloshie for the poorest of the poor to sift through and burn.

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/the-battle-against-global-e-waste-dumping-reaches-tipping-point/47445264?utm_campaign=teaser-in-channel&utm_content=o&utm_source=swissinfoch&utm_medium=display

[bucolic_frolic]

1. We pay for CRT recycling. We should pay for other appliances too.

But I think only because the phosphors in the tube present a flammability risk. Most of the fees go into cracking the tube open and emptying it. But leaded glass remains, and who knows what they do with all the wiring harnesses.

So many TV's plastic. I still have one metal and one plastic CRT.

Have you ever been to a metal recycler? Roundabout to weigh and dump, then a pay station. You could find anything there. Anything. The waste this society produces is criminal. Those recyclers employ dozens and make a good profit. Legislators should find a way to feed the system with fees and materiel.