How to solve the eWaste issue

We are 100 percent against the dumping of eWaste whether it is foreign or domestic, under any circumstances – no exceptions – and we must jail the eWaste cowboys who violate this law.

However making eWaste dumping illegal is not enough. To make environmental re-use and recycling happen in a way that is sustainable over the long-term the government must also ensure that a financing mechanism is put into place to make sure that this is possible in practice, i.e. build and sustain the operational capacity.

The Producer Pays

But there is no mystery to solve here either – we already know the financing solution: the three Ps, the Producer Pays Principle.

The original equipment manufacturer must pay for the end-of-life recycling of their products in Africa – just as they already do in Europe (and as they will soon be required to do in the USA, Canada and Australia).

Within the European Union, Nokia, Whirlpool, Samsung, Kenwood, Dell, Hewlett Packard, Toshiba and all OEMs pay for the end-of-life recycling of all waste electonic and electrical equipment.

These same producer companies must be forced to be equally environmentally and socially responsible in Africa.

Why do these companies fulfil these moral obligations within Europe but ignore them in Africa? Because there is effective legislation in Europe – and not in Africa.

This is why we must return to our countries and force our governments to ban eWaste importation and the dumping of domestic eWaste.

And to fund end-of-life recyling we do not want grants and loans.We must ‘encourage’ all governments to require the implementation of the Producer Pays Principle in Africa – not just in Europe.

We only have one planet and it is essential that health, safety and the environment are jealously protected in developing countries just as they are already protected in Europe.

Tony Roberts is the founder and chief executive of Computer Aid International