There’s nothing quite like buying a brand-new cellphone or computer. You can’t help but stroke its sleek and shiny finish every now and then.
But where is your very first cellphone now?
Chances are its fragments can be found in an impoverished neighbourhood. These are the dumpsites on the outskirts of towns and cities all over the continent, hidden from the thriving metropolitan centres.
Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya are examples of countries where "slums" are becoming local and international dumping grounds for old and outdated computers, cellphones, televisions and other electronic devices. This are referred to as "e-waste".
There’s nothing quite like buying a brand-new cellphone or computer. You can’t help but stroke its sleek and shiny finish every now and then.
But where is your very first cellphone now?
Chances are its fragments can be found in an impoverished neighbourhood. These are the dumpsites on the outskirts of towns and cities all over the continent, hidden from the thriving metropolitan centres.
Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya are examples of countries where "slums" are becoming local and international dumping grounds for old and outdated computers, cellphones, televisions and other electronic devices. This are referred to as "e-waste".
According to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), around 20-50 tons of e-waste is generated worldwide every year. In South Africa alone, it is estimated that more than 100 000 PCs are being dumped annually.
The biggest problem with e-waste is that there are too few environmentally-friendly means of disposal that can keep up with the rapid pace new electronics are being produced. This leads to the stripping of devices in search of the raw materials that make up its components.
Metals such as lead, copper, gold and mercury found in the average computer, cellphone or television set can be reused.
Although these materials can be recycled to manufacture other products, some methods of stripping carry a serious health hazard.
An e-wasteland has developed on the fringes of Ghana’s capital, where people strip electronics of their innards amid burning piles of plastic and thick smoke. By setting fire to these electronics, the plastic shell melts and allows for easier extraction.
This wasteland lies in an impoverished Accra neighbourhood, where these dangerous fumes engulf the inhabitants’ living space. The Dandora slum, in Kenya, shares the same fate. Lead and mercury released into the air causes a dangerous level of toxicity. When inhaled for a period of time, it causes serious damage to the lungs of these residents, and other illnesses.
There is a growing surplus of unused electronics that threatens the sustainability of Africa’s environment. Instances where Western countries illegally ship their waste into the continent are on the rise.
But our own means of recycling and disposing of unused electronics cannot be reconciled with our need to connect with the rest of the world through electronic communication. The surplus of electronics is increasing in momentum, posing a serious threat to all natural life, fragment by fragment.
This article was originally published in Open Source – a publication of Highway Africa.
