November 2011 | Gary Nevison - Head of Legislation and Compliance

1. Images courtesy of the Basel Action Network The Tragedy Of E-Waste November 2011| Gary Nevison - Head of Legislation and Compliance • What Is E-Waste? • Illegal E-Waste Exports • Experience In India • Some Progress?

2. What is e-waste? - Greenpeace / Retra • Average UK citizen discards 3.3 tonnes of WEEE in a lifetime • Up to 93 million items EEE discarded in UK per year • Global e-waste estimated at 93.5 million tonnes by 2016 ( 41.5 million tonnes in 2011) • Fastest growing waste stream – 6% annually Sources = EIA, UN, ICER and MarketsandMarkets

3. Illegal WEEE “Exports” • Illegal when WEEE is exported as functional EEE but is not • Cannot be used again and only destination is for disposal as e-waste • Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal • 178 parties signed up • Becomes law when 68 of the countries party to the convention in 1995 ratify it (51 currently – excludes US) • 60 minutes (USA – 2008) & Panorama (UK - 2011) ……YouTube – Electronic Wasteland

4. “Backyard Recycling” Process • Money earned from reclaiming valuable materials • $2 to $5 per day • Copper wires burnt to remove coatings • CRT monitors smashed • Circuit boards dipped into acid baths • Gold, silver, platinum, cadmium, nickel etc • Leftover useless materials dumped in landfills / rivers or burnt

5. Effects of Backyard Recycling • Burning, acid fires, smashing expose workers and the environment to extremely noxious materials • Lead, cadmium, mercury , selenium etc • Damage to the brain, nervous system, lungs, and kidneys, can cause cancer and even be fatal • Toxins spread to soil and groundwater

6. Working With Local Experts • 5 million+ people work in Indian e-waste trade • Dr Thuppil Venkatesh • Advisor to the National Referral Centre for Lead Poisoning in India (NRCLPI) • Problem caused by ‘charitable’ donations • “You are killing the children” • “53% of the children under 12 in Bangalore have levels of lead in their blood that is causing brain damage”

7. Creating Awareness In India • Premier Farnell worked with Dr. Venkatesh to sponsor awareness projects in Bangalore • LEADER scheme • Aim to train teachers who educate young people on the dangers of unsafe recycling • 200 teachers then address 500 students each • Supported by other material inc. posters and respiratory masks

8. Achievements • 2008 – Invited to speak at Hazardous Materials Management conference, Bangalore India • February 2009 - Premier Farnell helped the NRCLPI to fund: • 32 training programs across India • 2800 teachers attended • Workshop material for 350 teachers • 2000 teachers achieved certified status • 3000 respiratory masks for Bangalore region • 1000 copies of ‘Lead and U’ DVD • Farnell conferences to raise awareness

9. What Happened Next? • Efforts hampered by e-waste links with organised crime • Forced to abandon • Reveals underlying complexity of problem • ‘Playing God’ with people’s livelihoods • HOWEVER, • Better understanding of problems and solutions • Setting up of a Premier Farnell Trust Fund • Create a sustained stream of funding • Dr Venkatesh also identified opportunities and contacts to extend efforts to China

10. Positive Progress • WEEE recast • Inspection and monitoring • Distinguish between EEE and WEEE • Testing and documentation required • E-stewards • Global independent certification program that all stakeholders can rely on • Identify responsible recyclers • Problem remains of inadequate waste treatment standards – this should be a focus

11. Future Hopes • The ICT industry designs products free from hazardous chemicals, that are energy efficient, easier to recycle and durable • Organisations like the Interpol Global e-waste Crime Group, currently working across 42 countries, can share intelligence and take forward a strategy to control illegal e-waste

12. Information www.element14.com/legislation