UN warning on e-waste ‘mountain’
Published November 27th, 2006
he world’s richest nations are dumping hazardous electronic waste on poor African countries, says the head of the UN’s Environment Programme (Unep).
Speaking in Nairobi, Achim Steiner said consumerism was driving a “growing mountain of e-waste”.
Unep estimates that up to 50 million tonnes of waste from discarded electronic goods is generated annually.
Improper disposal of e-waste can release hazardous chemicals and heavy metals into the environment.
Mr Steiner made his comments at the opening of a week-long conference in Nairobi which will review the Basel Convention, aimed at reducing the movement of all types of hazardous waste.
“The need for Basel is ever more evident in this globalised world,” he said.
“Accelerating trade in goods and materials across borders and across continents is one of the defining features of the early 21st Century.”
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