It is alarming that up to 90% of the world’s electronic waste, worth nearly $19bn, is illegally traded or dumped each year, as indicated by a recent report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Each year, the electronic industry - one of the world’s largest and fastest growing – generates up to 41mn tonnes of e-waste from goods such as computers and smart phones. Forecasts say that figure may reach 50mn tonnes already by 2017.
A staggering 60-90% of this waste is illegally traded or dumped, according to UNEP report, launched in Geneva, at the Conference of Parties to the three major conventions addressing the global waste issue, the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.
The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) estimates the price of a tonne of e-waste at around $500, leading to the nearly $19bn figure. As pointed out by UN under-secretary-general and executive director of UNEP    Achim Steiner, the unprecedented amount of electronic waste rolling out over the world not only accounts for a large portion of the world’s non-recycled ‘waste mountain,’ but also poses a growing threat to human health and the environment, due to the hazardous elements it contains.
The illegal trade and dumping of e-waste could be brought to an end only through enhanced international co-operation and legislative coherence, stronger national regulations and enforcement, as well as greater awareness and robust prevention, as he suggested.
This will create a win-win situation, whereby rare and expensive elements are safely recycled and reused, boosting the formal economy and reducing health risks to the public.
Innovative solutions to combat illegal and unsustainable handling of e-waste are emerging. Recovering valuable metals and other resources locked inside electronic products, for example, can reduce the amount of e-waste produced.
The growing volumes of e-waste, municipal waste, food waste, discarded chemicals and counterfeit pesticides, all contribute to increasing pressure on the environment.
Currently, Europe and North America are the largest producers of e-waste, though Asia’s cities are catching-up quickly. Africa and Asia are key destinations for large-scale shipments of hazardous wastes for dumping, and sometimes for recycling. Ghana and Nigeria are among the largest recipients in West Africa, although high volumes of e-waste are also transported to Cote d’Ivoire and the Republic of Congo. In Asia, China, Hong Kong, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Vietnam appear to bear the brunt of illegal e-waste shipments.
As reiterated by the UNEP, inconsistency in regulations between exporting and importing countries – including what is classified as hazardous or contaminated waste – poses a challenge to effectively combating illegal waste trafficking.
Technical guidelines on the criteria used to classify equipment as waste or non-waste are currently being negotiated  internationally.  Binding agreements on classification of waste through the conventions will be vital to prevent the dumping of waste in developing countries.

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