Share this
Twitter
Digg
Del.icio.us
Reddit
Yahoo
Googlize this
Facebook
Export PDF
Print
E-mailElectronic waste from discarded mobile phones and various other electronic appliances could soon be a problem for developing countries a United Nations report “Recycling- from E-Waste to Resources” warns, reports the BusinessMirror.
“[This] gives new urgency to establishing ambitious, formal and regulated processes for collecting and managing e-waste via the setting up of large, efficient facilities,” said Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environmental Program.
The report said recycling e-wastes will become crucial to avoid the “spectre” of mountains of refuse and for public health and the environment. Global e-waste generation is growing by approximately 40 million tons a year, the report said.
UNEP issued the report on Monday, Feb 22, during a Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal in Bali, Indonesia.
The report projected current and future e-waste generation from 11 representative developing nations which include China, India and countries in Latin America and Africa. China is second only to the United States in domestic e-waste production and is a major e-waste dumping ground for developing countries.
By 2020 the report estimates that India will experience a 500 percent increase in e-waste from old computers, South Africa and China will double their waste from 2007 levels with China producing seven times more and India 18 times more discarded mobile phone waste.
E-waste included in computations were: old and dilapitated desk and laptop computers, printers, mobile phones, pagers, digital photo and music devices, refrigerators, toys and televisions.
Concern mounted from increase in domestic manufacturing and sales of electronic goods in economies not equiped to properly collect and store waste which contain toxic and valuable materials.
The report reccomends establishing e-waste management centers of excellence and building on existing recycling and waste management organizations.
“In addition to curbing health problems, boosting developing country e-waste recycling rates can have the potential to generate decent employment, cut greenhouse gas emissions and recover a wide range of valuable metals including silver, gold, palladium, copper and indium -- by acting now and planning forward many countries can turn an e-challenge into an e-opportunity,” Steiner said.
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites
