AmbienDura

More and more computers, monitors and related devices are being discarded or simply not used anymore, making room for newer more sophisticated technologies and faster high-tech equipment. This development creates huge amounts of used electronic equipment and e-waste. Dealing in an environmentally sound manner with e-waste can be costly; especially because of the hazardous components and labour costs in the Western world.
At EU-level the Directives 2002/95/EC on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment and 2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment are designed to tackle the fast increasing waste stream of electrical and electronic equipment. Producers are responsible for taking back and recycling electrical and electronic equipment and incentives are created to design equipment in an environmentally more efficient way.

This all sounds idyllic, but the reality in some cases is different. Frequently we are informed by NGO’s, such as the Basel Action Network, about illegal dumping and open burning of e-waste in developing countries. Results from controls on waste shipments throughout Europe show high percentages of illegal exports of e-waste.

Last July, a new initiative has been launched: Digital Pipeline, mainly supported by Microsoft and in partnership with UNIDO. Their main aim is to improve the education of the public and relieve poverty by providing access to information and communications technology for those who most need it, with a focus on developing countries throughout Africa and other parts of the world. Secondly they aim to promote the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment by facilitating the re-use of ICT equipment.
The idea is to collect IT-equipment, refurbish it and provide to the ones in need. Between 2007 and 2010 it would concern 1 billion computers.

This initiative raises some questions: First of all the status of the equipment which is being shipped to Africa? Is this second-hand material or waste? Who monitors this? In case of classification as waste, it is most likely not allowed to be exported from Europe. Secondly the ‘refurbishers’: what standards and provisions are they expected to meet. On Microsoft’s Authorised Refurbisher-site you can check the criteria to become a ‘refurbisher’ for the Digital Pipeline project and see where they are located. In a report Microsoft states to have 7 refurbishers in Africa. The website gives the following information: South-Africa (6), Kenya (1), Namibia (0) and Nigeria (0). Thirdly the knowledge and possibilities to use the computers: besides South-Africa and Nigeria, many are countries are lacking technical knowledge and electricity to use the equipment in the first place. And finally: what happens with these billions computers and related equipment when they are broken or are not used anymore? Sufficient waste management systems are not in place there.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 23rd, 2007 at 15:47 and is filed under Waste. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.