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Every year 20 to 50 million tonnes of electronic waste are generated world-wide [2008/03/07]
“E-waste” could bring serious risks to human health and the environment.
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The production of electrical and electronic devices is the fastest-growing sector of the manufacturing industry in industrialised countries. At the same time, technological innovation and intense marketing engender a rapid replacement process.
Export to developing countries has become a usual practice for industrialised countries. This comes from the fact that environmental and occupational regulations are lax or not well-enforced in some developing countries, and labour costs are much lower.
The recycling and disposal of computer waste in these countries becomes a serious problem: it causes grave environmental and health hazards, as the deterioration of water which can result in serious illnesses. Released gases, acid solutions, toxic smoke and contaminated ashes are some of the most dangerous threats for them.
We share the opinion that “ We need to change the dominant paradigm that has prevailed over the past three decades. The lust for faster, smaller and cheaper must be governed by a new paradigm of sustainability that demands that our products are cleaner, long-lived, up-graded, and recyclable”
