Tech | March 01, 2010 | 12 comments

UN: E-waste mounting in developing countries

source: http://bit.ly/bhsyZ7

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Electronic waste is becoming an increasingly pressing problem in developing countries as sales of electronics surge and enforcement of environmental laws remains lax, a UN agency warned Monday.

The United National Environment Program (UNEP) says developing countries like China and India risk serious consequences to the environment and human health unless they institute proper e-waste collection and recycling programs.

The report predicts that by 2020, e-waste from mobile phones in China will be about seven times greater than what it was in 2007, and waste from old computers will be up to five times greater.

The growth in India will be even higher, the report suggests, with e-waste from mobile phones in 2020 being 18 times greater than in 2007, and e-waste from computers six times greater.

The report estimates that in 2010, China will produce 2.3 million tonnes of e-waste, second only the U.S., which produces about three million tonnes.
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12 comments // UN: E-waste mounting in developing countries

  • CarolineS
    • 0
      CarolineS  

    • We all need to start going wireless, it's the industry's fault, we should be so far already with our technology that there shouldnt be all this waste of wires etc.
      Nikola tesla was doing wireless technology over 60 years ago, and you think apple and microsoft just havent caught on to it yet

    • 2 years ago
  • tiflaf
    • 0
      tiflaf  

    • AaaH! This picture looks kind of like my desk. Cords are the bane of my existence.

      Oh, and, boo on e-waste! C'mon people do you really need a new phone every time they advertise one? The Razor, The Sliver...let's call the next one The Waster!

    • 2 years ago
  • islek
  • achromatic
    • 0
      achromatic  
    • islek:

      yeah, i love this post. i saw it awhile back...no wonder this issue is SO under-reported. This is tragic, and by the time the general public starts to care, it will probably be too late. America is the all for profit nation :(

    • 2 years ago
  • PigFarmington
    • 0
      PigFarmington  

    • I am proudly still rockin' the same Dell Inspiron I've had since 2003. It has crashed twice... I spent $30 on 1gb of ram both times whereas most would find it as an excuse to trash the entire system, keyboard and all.

      I will never forget finding a dumpster full of iMacs outside the computer lab at a Big Ten university. There I took one home and found there was nothing wrong with them, they were just 3 years old. I'm sure a grant (tax dollars) bought a whole new lab. I rounded up the remaining iMac and tried to drop them off at the boys and girls club. They said they couldn't take them because the university's name was etched into the side of every unit. I called the university, and talked to a low level secretary...twice. Never got a call back.

    • 2 years ago
  • da100thmonkey
    • 0
      da100thmonkey  

    • so true - disposable lives, disposable memory.
      why fix something when you can borrow money & buy a new one?
      Luckily everyone I know are barbie dolls - disposable playthings - keep it shallow and cover the dirt with pretty lies =)
      oh the joys of humanity!

    • 2 years ago
  • PigFarmington
    • 0
      PigFarmington  

    • This underlying issue is that the 1st world (especially americans) are trained to believe you need to replace something even when you don't have to. I would be the majority of the keyboards in that pic are functional. Sure the white plastic may look dirty, hell that's probably why the consumer who once owned it threw it away.

    • 2 years ago
  • bethopea
    • 0
      bethopea  
    • PigFarmington:

      ...this is true p.f.
      After living our of the States for a while, I realized the conveniences I was missing were actually waste, who needs 50 different choices for cereal or jam pre-mixed into their peanutbutter, and that is just food...We all save our money differently and have different fixes to get us through the day, but Americans waste their hard earned money on clutter and gluttony. There are way too many impulse buyers, I mean, what else is there to do besides spend as that is what we are told to do, no?

    • 2 years ago
  • da100thmonkey
    • 0
      da100thmonkey  

    • also acknowledge:
      S.A.A.Rs & many previously unseen types of cancer originating from 'recycling' landfill sites.
      I love our technology & my computer but this 'out of site out of mind' is such false economy as illness spreads almost as quickly as the oil-red river runs through these charred and deadened landscapes.

      I live 5stories up in middle of London & still manage to recycle & bury compost waste - it takes less time than you think - get in touch to find out how
      peace

    • 2 years ago
  • Flare_Network
  • PigFarmington
    • 0
      PigFarmington  
    • da100thmonkey:

      Americans are told forced recycling is a violation of our "freedom". Meanwhile, they're content with dumping toxic waste on reservations and the 3rd world. The dark skinned class doesn't deserve "freedom" aka the right to exploit people.

    • 2 years ago
  • lizziehoffman
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