Ewaste and the Basel Convention on the Control
E-waste and the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal ITU Symposium on ICTs, the Environment and Climate Change, 7 -8 July 2011, Accra, Ghana Matthias Kern Secretariat of the Basel Convention United Nations Environment Programme
Topics: • Basel Convention at a glance • Global E-waste problem and opportunities • Cooperation with the Information and Communication Technology sector
- Adopted on 22 March 1989 - Entered into force on 5 May 1992 - 176 Parties to the Convention as at July 2011 - E-waste is listed in Annex VIII as A 1180 (hazardous waste) and Annex IX as B 1110 (waste containing materials with hazardous characteristics)
Main Goal of the Basel Convention: To protect, by strict control, human health and the environment against the adverse effects resulting from the generation and management of hazardous wastes and other wastes
Partnership for Action on Computing Equipment (PACE) • PACE was launched by the 9 th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention, which took place in Bali, Indonesia in June 2008. • PACE is a multi-stakeholder partnership under the umbrella of the Basel Convention that provides a forum for representatives of - personal computer manufacturers, - recyclers, - international organizations, - academia, - environmental groups, and - governments to tackle the environmentally sound management (ESM), refurbishment, recycling and disposal of used and end-of-life computing equipment. 5
Current Status PACE products that have been finalized: - Two draft guidelines: 1. Environmentally sound testing, repair and refurbishment; and 2. Environmentally sound material recovery and recycling - ESM criteria recommendations - Guidance on Procedures for Transboundary Movement of Computing Equipment. - Glossary of Terms for PACE. - Overall Guidance Document on Environmentally Sound Management of Used and End-of-Life Computing Equipment Available on website: http: //www. basel. int/industry/compartnership/documents. html
Topics: • Basel Convention at a glance • Global E-waste problem and opportunities • Cooperation with the Information and Communication Technology sector
Information and Communication Technology • PCs & Mobile Phones are the major IC equipment • Computing equipment lifespan decreased - 1997: 4 -6 years - 2005: 2 -4 years • In 1 decade (1994 -2003), 500 million PCs worldwide reached end-of-life ~ EWASTE
Consumed electrical and electronic products will generate: 40 -50 Million Metric Tonnes of e-Waste Globally Each Year 9
A rapidly growing problem: The volume of obsolete PCs generated in developing regions will exceed that of developed regions by 2016 -2018. By 2030, the obsolete PCs from developing regions will reach 400 -700 million units, far more than from developed regions at 200300 million units. Yu et al. , 2010
Personal Computer (PC) Sales by Regions 11
Material content and value of an average desktop PC 2007 resource prices: Amount contained in desktop PC [g/unit] Material value 2007 [US$/unit] Steel 6737. 5 1. 70 Plastics 1579. 5 0. 49 Aluminium 550. 2 1. 49 Copper 413. 2 2. 99 Zinc 25. 9 0. 09 Antimony 18. 5 0. 11 Nickel 12. 7 0. 47 Lead 6. 5 0. 02 Silver 1. 7 0. 94 Gold 0. 3 5. 82 Palladium 0. 1 1. 38
Two sides of recycling: • E-waste recycling in most developing countries by informal sector: – Involving large number of people – Practices not environmentally sound • methods: burning, acid etching • no/poor worker protection • almost no pollution control
E-waste Africa programme • Timeframe: November 2008 to March 2012 • Countries involved: Benin, Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Tunisia and Egypt • Goals: - Enhance environmental governance for e-waste in selected African countries - Build capacity to monitor and control e-waste imports coming from the developed world, including Europe - Protect the health of citizens - Provide economic opportunities
Socio-economic impacts in Lagos, Nigeria
Environmentally sound management of electric and electronic waste in Asia-Pacific • Launched in Tokyo, November 2005, Asia-Pacific Regional Inception Workshop on the ESM of E&E Wastes • Countries involved: Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam • Goal: - Prevention and minimization of e-waste generation, - ESM of e-waste by promoting best practices and sound recycling technologies, and - illegal traffic prevention through capacity building and strengthening of national enforcement structures
Topics: • Basel Convention at a glance • Global E-waste problem and opportunities • Cooperation with the Information and Communication Technology sector
Cooperation with the ICT sector (1): • Technology for ESM of E-Waste exists, but has to be linked to product life-cycle to become economically viable. • Introduction of life-cycle approach for eproducts needs concerted efforts of all players (investment, producers, users, recyclers, etc. ).
Cooperation with the ICT sector (2): • Make provision that procurement of new ICT equipment is linked to refurbishment and recycling, or to environmentally sound disposal of old/replaced equipment. • The Secretariat of the Basel Convention and the Basel Convention Regional Centres can provide technical expertise on environmentally sound life-cycle management at the project planning and implementation stage.
The Millenium Task Force on Environmental Sustainability, commissioned by the UNSecretary General under the leadership of Professor Jeffrey Sachs concluded: “Quite simply, environmental sustainability is the foundation upon which achieving all the other MDGs must be built. ”
Thank you ! UNEP Secretariat of the Basel Convention 15, Chemin des Anemones CH-1219 Chatelaine, Geneva Phone: +41 22 917 8218 Fax: +41 22 797 34 54 E-mail: matthias. kern@unep. org Website: www. basel. int
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