E-waste is currently the largest growing waste stream. It is hazardous, complex and expensive to treat in an environmentally sound manner, and there is a general lack of legislation or enforcement surrounding it. Today, most e-waste is being discarded in the general waste stream. Of the e-waste in developed countries that is sent for recycling, 80 per cent ends up being shipped (often illegally) to developing countries to be recycled by hundreds of thousands of informal workers. Such globalization of e-waste has adverse environmental and health implications. This paper will elaborate on the issues posed by e-waste, the scale of its use, destinations for the trans-boundary trade flow in e-waste, risks to workers, labour and employment issues, chemicals of concern, OSH aspects, and the legal framework. It will take a systems analysis approach to the problem, explore solutions and suggest possible pathways for ILO intervention.
E-waste – electrical and electronic waste – is one of today’s fastest growing waste streams. By managing it well, we can recover valuable raw materials and reusable parts, with significant associated emissions savings.
Informal economic activities across much of sub-Saharan Africa provide crucial cash income and employment for both rural and urban populations.
The green economy and climate resilience agendas are widely promoted as solutions to 21st century challenges facing sustainable development. As the world continues to urbanise, the role of cities in promoting these agendas is increasingly recognised.