The Environmental Cost of Hazardous Waste Export
Exporting Waste is not an Eco-friendly Means of Waste Reduction
Feb 24, 2009
The guiding principles of waste management, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, have been adopted by most countries as an eco-friendly means of waste reduction. Unfortunately the practice of hazardous waste export is increasingly being employed to solve the developed world’s waste problems. While most consumers attempt to put the 3 Rs into practice, many are not aware that unregulated recycling can add to the environmental cost of hazardous waste export.
The Environmental Cost of Exporting Hazardous Waste
Not all industrial countries have signed up to the Basel Convention (1989) and the Basel Ban Amendment (1995), which ban the export of hazardous materials, and those that have signed up continue to find ways to circumvent the provisions. This has led to an increase in the environmental problems associated with the export of hazardous waste.
- A report by the Basel Action Network in August 2007, titled “JPEPA as a Step in Japan’s Greater Plan to Liberalize Hazardous Waste Trade in Asia” on the Japanese – Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement says, “Since the passage of the Basel Ban Amendment, Japan, along with other countries in the diplomatic grouping known as the JUSCANZ (which includes Japan, United States, South Korea, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) refuses to ratify the Basel Ban Amendment”.
- “Briefing Paper 9”, issued by the Basel Action Network states, “Both the US and Japan have recently been exposed as major players in an illegal trade of hazardous electronic waste to developing countries. Neither country has renounced these export activities nor tried to prevent them”.
- In Poisoning the Poor, published by Greenpeace International in August 2008, the authors, Jo Kuper and Martin Hojsik claim, “Sending old electronic equipment to developing countries is often hailed as “bridging the digital divide.” But, all too often this simply means dumping useless equipment on the poor. One estimate suggests that 25-75% of “second hand goods” imported to Africa cannot be reused”.
- Volume 38 of Environmental Law carries an article by Lisa Widawsky, titled “In my Backyard” which states, “The propensity of wealthy, industrialized nations to export their wastes to poorer, developing nations is a classic and pervading example of international environmental injustice”.
- Toxic Tech: Not in our Backyard by Madeleine Cobbing, published by Greenpeace in February 2008 states, “The major issue for both the US and the EU to address is that e-waste is currently exported to less industrialized countries such as China and India, where recycling and recovery takes place with little regard for the human health or environmental consequences”.
Environmental Problems of Unregulated Recycling
Although recycling is a major means of waste reduction, the irresponsible export of recycled material can lead to environmental problems.
- Exporting Harm by Jim Puckett and published by the Basel Action Network in February 2002 says, “Indeed, informed recycling industry sources estimate that between 50 to 80 percent of the E-waste collected for recycling in the western U.S. are not recycled domestically, but is very quickly placed on container ships bound for destinations like China”.
- "The Challenge of Electronic Waste in Developing Countries", by O. Osibanjo, in Volume 25 of Waste Management & Research states that, “The US e-waste recycling industry are reported to have once declared that about 80% of the e-waste they received was exported into Asia, and 90% of this went to China”.
- “Recycling Computers and Electronic Equipment” by James McCarthy and published by the Congressional Research Service in July 2002 states, “Collection for recycling does not guarantee environmentally responsible management, however; recent reports suggest that large volumes of electronic waste separated for recycling are being shipped to China and other developing countries, where primitive recycling methods threaten human health and the environment”
Hazardous waste poses grave environmental dangers. Exporting this waste adds to those environmental problems. Adopting an environmental approach to electronic waste coupled with responsible recycling procedures can help to prevent the depletion of the Earth’s environmental resources
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