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E-waste Recycling February 12, 2021 06:20:37 PM

Expert Panel Focuses on Electronics Exports to Africa

Paul Ploumis
ScrapMonster Author
The garbage devices which reach the African destinations are often incinerated to recover materials.

Expert Panel Focuses on Electronics Exports to Africa

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The recent online discussion forum hosted by Netherlands-based De Balie Academie explored the consequences of exporting electronics to developing nations, with special focus on nations in the African continent.

Mike Anane, an environmental journalist and activist in Ghana, and Kees Baldé, an e-scrap researcher focused on the issues associated with the exports of devices from North America and Europe into Africa. Although, these devices are often labelled for reuse, a good majority of them are found to be non-functional, they said. Ghana and Kenya are the major dumping grounds for these devices, although a part of it ends up in other countries including Sierra Leone and Kenya.

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A study carried out after inspection of inbound containers at a Nigerian port suggests that only 70% of the items are still functioning, whereas the remaining 30% are waste. Alarmingly, a similar study conducted in Ghana found that 70% to 80% of what is shipped into the country is nothing but garbage. Only the remaining 30% are functional and could be reused.

The garbage devices which reach the African destinations are often incinerated to recover materials. The handling of these devices leads to release of toxic contaminants into environment and water bodies, the conference warned.

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