E-Waste Getting Dumped on Africa

The endless cycle of replacing old technology with new has become a way of life for many. With technology becoming obsolete at an astonishing rate, waste from electronic goods is really starting to pile up, and most of it is being shipped off to poorer countries around the world.

According to the Unep, 50 million tons of e-waste is being generated per year. Typically, this waste is burnt; releasing toxic fumes into the atmosphere and bleeding harmful chemicals into the soil.

Traditionally, this waste has been shipped off to China and India, but Africa is increasing becoming the final resting place for much of the e-waste generated by richer countries.

A conference is being held this week in Nairobi to discuss how to tighten regulations to prevent this. Members of the conference will review the Basel convention – an international treaty addressing cleaner production, hazardous waste minimization and controls on the movement of these wastes. The treaty came into force in 1992 and has since been signed by more than 160 countries.

In particular [the conference] will review amendments to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal which will tighten controls on shipments and disposal of e-waste.

BBC News: UN warning on e-waste ‘mountain’