- 4,000 tonnes of toxic e-waste is discarded in the world every hour, equivalent to the weight of 1,000 e-lephants
- Between 1997 and 2007, experts estimate that there will be more than 500 million obsolete computers in the US alone. That includes 2.87 million tonnes plastics, 717,000 tonnes lead, 1.36 million tonnes cadmium, 862,000 tonnes chromium, and 287 tonnes mercury.
- The Basel Convention on Transboundary Movements of Harzardous Wastes and their Disposal (1994) bans export of all hazardous waste from rich to poor countries for any reason, including recycling. The US, Australia and Canada have failed to ratify the Basel Convention.
- 50-80 % of the e-waste collected for recycling in western US is not recycled domestically, but shipped in containers to destinations such as China
- Imports of e-waste have been illegal in China since 1996, so there is no official figures on how much is coming into the country, but environmental groups and academics estimate that Guiyu alone handles more than a million tonnes of e-waste annually
- In May this year, Greenpeace China tried to shame electronics companies attending a trade show in Beijing by unveiling a 2.7 m high statue in the shape of a wave built using the companies' e-waste collected from Guiyu
- The Computer TakeBack campaign aims to protect the health and well-being of electronic users, workers, and the communities where electronics are produced and discarded, by requiring electronic manufacturers and brand owners to take full responsibility for the life cycle of their products.
Source: Scanorama Magazine, November 2005
*electronic waste
Interesting. Thanks Anna.
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