MoreThanWaste.com - WEEE Directive could 'harm' the environment (19/04/2007)

A warning has been issued by Digital Links that implementation of the WEEE Directive on 1 July could harm the environment and reduce the number of refurbished computers available to third world countries such as Africa.

Millions of computers could be broken up and recycled that could otherwise have been re-used by poorer nations. Re-use of course lays at a higher level in the waste hierarchy and by implication is the more favoured option.

Premature recycling advances the use of resources unnecessarily and deprives African school children of educational opportunities.

WEEE components after primary processing

Digital Links CEO David Sogan says:

“The WEEE Directive states that schemes should ‘prioritise the reuse of whole appliances’ however, they have set no targets, and given no incentives, rendering this meaningless. Unfortunately, data cleansing and refurbishing computers is more expensive than simply crushing and recycling them."

Training on the computers in African nations is also provided by the Digital Links charity.

While charities such as Digital Links are providing a useful service both to ethical wastes management and developing nations, there have been problems with other companies shipping WEEE to the third world as a means of “back-door disposal”.

Nairobi conference

A conference was held by the United Nations Environmental Programme in Nairobi in November last year which addressed the growing problem of WEEE.

Around 20 to 50 million metric tonnes of e-waste are generated worldwide each year which makes up more than 5% of all municipal solid waste. Many millions of computers are purchased around the world every year, there was an estimated 183 million in 2004 alone, and when discarded this results in a legacy of lead, cadmium, mercury and other hazardous wastes.

In the US alone, some 14 to 20 million PCs are thrown out every year. In the EU the volume of e-waste is expected to increase by 3 to 5 per cent a year. Developing countries are expected to triple their output of e-waste by 2010.

Lessons learned from improvement of the management of e-wastes may also be applied to other discarded consumer goods and end-of-life equipment, such as batteries, automobiles and ships. 'The key to success will be the creation of a global framework for managing wastes that renders waste flows transparent, predictable and traceable, while reflecting the specific attributes of each waste stream', according to UNEP. This would also help to tackle the growing challenge of illegal trade.


	WEEE Directive could 'harm' the environment (19/04/2007) A warning has been issued by Digital Links that implementation of the WEEE Directive on 1 July could harm the environment and reduce the number of refurbished computers available to third world countries such as Africa. Millions of computers could be broken up and recycled that could otherwise have been re-used by poorer nations. Re-use of course lays at a higher level in the waste hierarchy and by implication is the more favoured option. Premature recycling advances the use of resources unnecessarily and deprives African school children of educational opportunities. WEEE components after primary processing Digital Links CEO David Sogan says: “The WEEE Directive states that schemes should ‘prioritise the reuse of whole appliances’ however, they have set no targets, and given no incentives, rendering this meaningless. Unfortunately, data cleansing and refurbishing computers is more expensive than simply crushing and recycling them." Training on the computers in African nations is also provided by the Digital Links charity. While charities such as Digital Links are providing a useful service both to ethical wastes management and developing nations, there have been problems with other companies shipping WEEE to the third world as a means of “back-door disposal”. Nairobi conference A conference was held by the United Nations Environmental Programme in Nairobi in November last year which addressed the growing problem of WEEE. Around 20 to 50 million metric tonnes of e-waste are generated worldwide each year which makes up more than 5% of all municipal solid waste. Many millions of computers are purchased around the world every year, there was an estimated 183 million in 2004 alone, and when discarded this results in a legacy of lead, cadmium, mercury and other hazardous wastes. In the US alone, some 14 to 20 million PCs are thrown out every year. In the EU the volume of e-waste is expected to increase by 3 to 5 per cent a year. Developing countries are expected to triple their output of e-waste by 2010. Lessons learned from improvement of the management of e-wastes may also be applied to other discarded consumer goods and end-of-life equipment, such as batteries, automobiles and ships. 'The key to success will be the creation of a global framework for managing wastes that renders waste flows transparent, predictable and traceable, while reflecting the specific attributes of each waste stream', according to UNEP. This would also help to tackle the growing challenge of illegal trade.