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Matthias Kern Secretariat of the Basel Convention United Nations Environment Programme

E-waste and the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal ITU Symposium on ICTs, the Environment and Climate Change, 7-8 July 2011, Accra, Ghana. Matthias Kern Secretariat of the Basel Convention United Nations Environment Programme.

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Matthias Kern Secretariat of the Basel Convention United Nations Environment Programme

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  1. E-waste and the Basel Conventionon the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their DisposalITU Symposium on ICTs, the Environment and Climate Change, 7-8 July 2011, Accra, Ghana Matthias Kern Secretariat of the Basel Convention United Nations Environment Programme

  2. Topics: • Basel Convention at a glance • Global E-waste problem and opportunities • Cooperation with the Information and Communication Technologysector

  3. - Adopted on 22 March 1989 - Entered into force on 5 May 1992 - 176 Parties to the Convention as at July 2011 - E-waste is listed in Annex VIII as A1180 (hazardous waste) and Annex IX as B1110 (waste containing materials with hazardous characteristics)

  4. Main Goal of the Basel Convention: To protect, by strict control, human health and the environment against the adverse effects resulting from the generation and management of hazardous wastes and other wastes

  5. Partnership for Action on Computing Equipment (PACE) PACE was launched by the 9th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention, which took place in Bali, Indonesia in June 2008. PACE is a multi-stakeholder partnership under the umbrella of the Basel Convention that provides a forum for representatives of- personal computer manufacturers, - recyclers, - international organizations, - academia, - environmental groups, and - governmentsto tackle the environmentally sound management (ESM), refurbishment, recycling and disposal of used and end-of-life computing equipment. 5

  6. Current Status PACE products that have been finalized: - Two draft guidelines:1. Environmentally sound testing, repair and refurbishment; and2. Environmentally sound material recovery and recycling - ESM criteria recommendations - Guidance on Procedures for Transboundary Movement of Computing Equipment. - Glossary of Terms for PACE. - Overall Guidance Document on Environmentally Sound Management of Used and End-of-Life Computing Equipment Available on website: http://www.basel.int/industry/compartnership/documents.html

  7. Topics: • Basel Convention at a glance • Global E-waste problem and opportunities • Cooperation with the Information and Communication Technologysector

  8. Information and Communication Technology • PCs & Mobile Phones are the major IC equipment • Computing equipment lifespan decreased- 1997: 4-6 years- 2005: 2-4 years • In 1 decade (1994-2003), 500 million PCs worldwide reached end-of-life ~ E-WASTE

  9. Consumed electrical and electronic products will generate: 40-50 Million Metric Tonnes of e-Waste Globally Each Year 9

  10. A rapidly growing problem: The volume of obsolete PCs generated in developing regions will exceed that of developed regions by 2016-2018. By 2030, the obsolete PCs from developing regions will reach 400-700 million units, far more than from developed regions at 200-300 million units. Yu et al., 2010

  11. Personal Computer (PC) Sales by Regions 11

  12. Material content and value of an average desktop PC 2007 resource prices:

  13. Two sides of recycling: • E-waste recycling in most developing countries by informal sector: • Involving large number of people • Practices not environmentally sound • methods: burning, acid etching • no/poor worker protection • almost no pollution control

  14. E-waste Africa programme Timeframe: November 2008 to March 2012 Countries involved: Benin, Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Tunisia and Egypt Goals: - Enhance environmental governance for e-waste in selected African countries - Build capacity to monitor and control e-waste imports coming from the developed world, including Europe - Protect the health of citizens - Provide economic opportunities

  15. Socio-economic impacts in Lagos, Nigeria

  16. Environmentally sound management of electric and electronic waste in Asia-Pacific Launched in Tokyo, November 2005, Asia-Pacific Regional Inception Workshop on the ESM of E&E Wastes Countries involved:Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam Goal:- Prevention and minimization of e-waste generation, - ESM of e-waste by promoting best practices and sound recycling technologies, and - illegal traffic prevention through capacity building and strengthening of national enforcement structures

  17. Topics: • Basel Convention at a glance • Global E-waste problem and opportunities • Cooperation with the Information and Communication Technologysector

  18. Cooperation with the ICT sector (1): • Technology for ESM of E-Waste exists, but has to be linked to product life-cycle to become economically viable. • Introduction of life-cycle approach for e-products needs concerted efforts of all players (investment, producers, users, recyclers, etc.).

  19. Cooperation with the ICT sector (2): • Make provision that procurement of new ICT equipment is linked to refurbishment and recycling, or to environmentally sound disposal of old/replaced equipment. • The Secretariat of the Basel Convention and the Basel Convention Regional Centres can provide technical expertise on environmentally sound life-cycle management at the project planning and implementation stage.

  20. “Quite simply, environmental sustainability is the foundation upon which achieving all the other MDGs must be built.” The Millenium Task Force on Environmental Sustainability, commissioned by the UN-Secretary General under theleadership of ProfessorJeffrey Sachs concluded:

  21. Thank you ! UNEP Secretariat of the Basel Convention 15, Chemin des Anemones CH-1219 Chatelaine, Geneva Phone: +41 22 917 8218 Fax: +41 22 797 34 54 E-mail: matthias.kern@unep.org Website: www.basel.int

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