The subject of e-waste landing in developing nations has been a growing concern of mine over the years. I was aware of the growing problem in South Asia, though recently I have come to realize that this is also a major problem in Africa. Ghana receives illegal shipments of electronic waste from developed nations. The shipments are illegal because in most cases the countries sending the waste have policies which make it against the law to export electronic waste. Instead, the shipments are sent as 'working electronics', regardless of the fact that they are broken and useless as consumer goods. The result is the continued shipment of electronic waste to a country that is not equipped to deal with the problem.
There is a man who is attempting to bring awareness of this issue to the rest of the world. His name is Mike Anane. Mike is an environmental journalist who has made efforts to create awareness of the growing electronic waste problem in Ghana. He is the founder of the League of Environmental Journalists In Ghana.
I would like to see the UN take a firm stance on this matter as more awareness is raised. Countries that are not willing to pay the necessary expenses to process these items should at the very least consider funding an environmentally sustainable solution abroad. If developed nations were willing to consider this option, not only would it solve environmental concerns both at home and abroad, but it would create new opportunities for developing nations.
If you do choose to discard electronics make sure you consider where they will end up. There are companies that have the ability to process electronic waste with 99% efficiency. Some companies will even use the petroleum based materials from reprocessed plastic casings to oil the processing equipment. We have the technology, we just need the willingness to invest and implement these solutions.
-JM
