The tragic costs of e-waste

Summary

The script highlights the grim reality of e-waste, particularly in Ghana, where mountains of discarded electronics are mined for valuable materials like gold, posing serious health and environmental risks. It underscores the need for sustainable practices, featuring initiatives like Fairphone that aim for longer-lasting, modular devices to reduce waste. It also touches on the role of corporations in managing end-of-life products and the importance of global recycling efforts to mitigate the environmental impact.

Takeaways

• 📱 The script discusses the environmental impact of electronic waste (e-waste), particularly highlighting the situation in Ghana where e-waste is informally recycled.
• 🌍 It emphasizes the global nature of the problem, with e-waste from developed countries often ending up in developing nations like Ghana.
• 🏭 The script introduces 'urban mining', a term used to describe the process of extracting valuable materials from discarded electronics.
• 💸 The value of e-waste is underscored by the fact that there is more gold in a ton of smartphones than in a ton of gold ore.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The script features individuals like Mohammed Awal, who supports his family by working in these hazardous conditions, illustrating the human cost of e-waste.
• 🔥 It mentions the dangerous methods used to extract minerals, such as burning e-waste to retrieve materials, which releases toxic chemicals.
• 👶 The impact on children is highlighted, with concerns about lead exposure and other health risks due to the toxic environment.
• 🌿 The script discusses the broader environmental impact, including pollution and the release of poisonous chemicals into the air and water.
• 📉 It points out the inefficiency of current recycling methods, with only 20% of e-waste being formally recycled.
• 💡 The script introduces solutions like Fairphone, a company aiming to create sustainable phones that are easier to recycle or repair.
• 🌐 It touches on the role of corporations and the need for them to consider a product's end of life during the design phase to reduce e-waste.
• 📈 The script concludes with a call to action, suggesting that consumers and producers alike have a responsibility to address the e-waste problem.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the video script?

The main issue discussed is the environmental and social impact of electronic waste, particularly how discarded electronics end up in landfills and are informally recycled in places like Ghana, leading to hazardous conditions for workers and the environment.

What is 'Urban mining' as mentioned in the script?

'Urban mining' refers to the process of extracting valuable materials from discarded electronics, often in unsafe and informal settings, such as the waste sites in Ghana.

Why is there 100 times more gold in a ton of smartphones than a ton of gold ore?

Electronic devices like smartphones contain precious metals used in their circuitry. The concentration of these metals is much higher in electronic waste compared to natural ores, making it a potentially rich source for extraction.

What are the health risks faced by workers involved in informal e-waste recycling?

Workers face numerous health risks, including exposure to toxic substances, lead poisoning, and physical injuries from handling hazardous materials without proper safety equipment.

How much of the world's electronic waste is formally recycled?

Only 20% of electronic waste is formally recycled, with the majority ending up in landfills or being dealt with informally.

What is the significance of the Fairphone mentioned in the script?

Fairphone is a company that produces modular smartphones designed for easy repair and recycling, aiming to reduce e-waste and promote more sustainable practices in the electronics industry.

What role does the Basel Convention play in the context of e-waste?

The Basel Convention is an international treaty aimed at reducing the movements of hazardous waste between nations, especially from developed to developing countries, which often lack the capacity to manage it properly.

Why is it important to consider a product's end of life during its design?

Considering a product's end of life during design can lead to more sustainable products that are easier to repair, recycle, or dispose of, thus reducing the environmental impact of electronic waste.

What is the significance of the Mountain Research Institute mentioned in the script?

The Mountain Research Institute is a recycling initiative at the Agbogbloshie dump site in Ghana, aiming to provide a safer and more sustainable method for handling e-waste.

What is the impact of e-waste on the local environment and communities, as described in the script?

The script describes e-waste leading to pollution, health issues, and economic challenges for local communities, with children exposed to hazardous conditions and the environment suffering from improper waste disposal practices.

How does the script suggest consumers can help address the issue of e-waste?

The script suggests that consumers can help by demanding more sustainable products, supporting companies that prioritize recycling and responsible waste management, and considering the end-of-life impact when purchasing electronics.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 E-Waste and Its Impact

This paragraph discusses the environmental and social consequences of electronic waste, particularly in Ghana. It highlights the contrast between the glossy advertisements promoting new electronics and the reality of e-waste disposal, which often ends up in landfills or is informally recycled in hazardous conditions. The paragraph introduces 'urban mining,' the dangerous work of extracting valuable materials from discarded electronics. It also touches on the health risks faced by workers, including children, who sort through toxic waste, and the broader environmental pollution caused by burning e-waste to extract minerals. The narrative emphasizes the need for a more responsible approach to e-waste management and the role of consumer behavior in perpetuating this issue.

05:04

📱 Sustainable Electronics and the Fairphone

This paragraph focuses on the efforts to create more sustainable electronics, exemplified by the Fairphone company. It contrasts the typical design of electronics, which are difficult to disassemble and recycle, with Fairphone's modular design that facilitates easy replacement and recycling of parts. The Fairphone aims to reduce e-waste by encouraging longer usage of devices. The paragraph also discusses the broader implications of e-waste on the environment, including pollution of water sources and the impact on marine life. It raises questions about the responsibility of producers and consumers in managing e-waste and the need for better recycling practices. The narrative includes perspectives from a Samsung representative on corporate sustainability and the company's efforts to incorporate recycled materials into their products.

10:06

🔄 Recycling Initiatives and the Future of E-Waste Management

The final paragraph explores potential solutions to the e-waste problem, including initiatives that incentivize proper recycling rather than burning cables for metal extraction. It introduces Vincent Kyere, who runs a recycling initiative at a dump site, and Bas van Abel, the founder of Fairphone, who advocates for using recycled materials to reduce the need for mining. The paragraph discusses the importance of managing e-waste responsibly to protect both the environment and the livelihoods of those who depend on recycling as a source of income. It also touches on the global aspect of e-waste, including the role of developed countries in exporting waste to developing nations and the need for better enforcement of regulations to prevent improper disposal of hazardous waste.

Keywords

💡E-Waste

E-Waste refers to electronic products that have been discarded or are considered obsolete. It is a significant environmental concern due to the hazardous materials contained in electronic devices, which can be harmful if not disposed of properly. In the video, e-waste is highlighted as a major contributor to pollution in areas like Ghana, where it is often informally recycled, leading to health and environmental issues.

💡Urban Mining

Urban mining is the process of extracting valuable materials from discarded electronic devices. It is a form of recycling that aims to recover precious metals and other components from e-waste. The video discusses how individuals in Ghana engage in urban mining by dismantling electronics, often under hazardous conditions, to retrieve materials like gold, which is present in higher concentrations in e-waste than in gold ore.

💡Toxic Waste

Toxic waste refers to materials that can pose a threat to the environment and human health. In the context of the video, toxic waste is a byproduct of the informal e-waste recycling process, where harmful chemicals are released into the air and soil when e-waste is burned to extract valuable minerals. This practice affects the health of workers and local communities, as well as the broader environment.

💡Recycling

Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and products. The video emphasizes the importance of proper recycling practices for e-waste, as only 20% of it is formally recycled, with the majority ending up in landfills or being informally recycled. Proper recycling can help reduce pollution and the demand for raw materials, but it requires more efficient systems and consumer awareness.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability refers to the ability to maintain processes or practices over the long term without depleting resources or causing environmental harm. The video discusses the need for more sustainable practices in the production and disposal of electronic devices, such as designing products for easier recycling and extending their lifespan to reduce e-waste.

💡Fairphone

Fairphone is a company mentioned in the video that aims to create more sustainable smartphones. Their products are designed with modular components that can be easily replaced or recycled, promoting a longer product lifespan and reducing e-waste. The Fairphone is an example of how companies can adopt more sustainable practices in the electronics industry.

💡Lead Exposure

Lead exposure refers to the presence of lead in the environment, which can be ingested or inhaled, leading to health problems. In the video, lead exposure is highlighted as a consequence of burning e-waste, as it releases lead and other toxic substances into the air. This is particularly concerning for children, who are more susceptible to the harmful effects of lead.

💡Poisonous Chemicals

Poisonous chemicals are substances that can cause harm or death to living organisms. The video discusses how the burning of e-waste releases poisonous chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which can contaminate the environment and even enter the food chain, posing a risk to human health.

💡Environmental Chemist

An environmental chemist is a scientist who studies the chemical and biochemical processes that occur in the environment. In the video, Anita Asamoah, an environmental chemist, investigates the presence of toxins in breast milk due to e-waste pollution, highlighting the impact of improper waste disposal on human health.

💡End of Life

End of life refers to the final stage of a product's lifecycle, including disposal and recycling. The video emphasizes the importance of considering a product's end of life during its design phase to facilitate easier recycling and reduce waste. This concept is crucial for reducing e-waste and promoting more sustainable product development.

💡Microplastics

Microplastics are small plastic particles that are a type of pollution found in the environment. The video mentions microplastics as a byproduct of improper e-waste recycling, which can end up in rivers and oceans, posing a threat to marine life and potentially entering the human food chain.

Highlights

The reality of electronic waste in Ghana is starkly different from the glossy advertisements for new devices.

Many electronics end up in massive garbage dumps where people sift through them for valuable materials.

Mohammed Awal supports his family by working in the dangerous conditions of an electronic waste city in Accra, Ghana.

Urban mining, extracting valuable materials from discarded electronics, is a hazardous job with little safety equipment.

There is 100 times more gold in a ton of smartphones than a ton of gold ore, but extracting it comes at a high cost.

Children as young as 10 work in these toxic environments for a meager income.

The UN reports that only 20% of electronic waste is formally recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills or informally processed.

The demand for materials drives these waste sites, which wouldn't exist without the need for extracted minerals.

Lead exposure among urban poor children is a significant ramification of burning e-waste to extract minerals.

E-waste provides opportunities for social mobility but also contributes to dangerous pollution.

Producers need to consider a product's end of life when designing it to reduce the environmental impact.

Fairphone, a company started by Dutch activist Bas van Abel, aims to create a more sustainable phone.

Fairphone's modular design allows for easy recycling or replacement of parts, reducing electronic waste.

Samsung is making efforts to use recycled materials in their products and has recycling centers in 50 countries.

There is a push for proper recycling and enforcement to prevent the export of hazardous waste to developing countries.

Vincent Kyere runs a recycling initiative to provide a safer alternative to burning cables for valuable materials.

The energy transition requires minerals found in mines, and recycling e-waste can help reduce the need for mining.

Transcripts

as we begin the busiest time of year  for shopping and gift giving you may  

be thinking about a new phone or laptop  this morning Seth Doane asks at what

cost these are not the images we see in the  glossy advertisements enticing us to buy a new  

cell phone laptop or TV but this should be part  of the picture because this is where many of our  

electronics wind up strewn in mountains of garbage  across acres of land with tens of thousands of  

people sifting through it in places like this  the African nation of Ghana we think a lot about  

where products come from when we buy them less  so about where they go when we're finished one  

researcher told us when we throw things away well  this is away it's also home for Mohammed Awal who  

supports his mother and four kids by working  despite the risks here in this city of waste  

in Ghana's Capital Accra what happens to your  body in doing this work if you see my body cut a  

wound yeah you see there's another scar there this  dangerous difficult and yes Dirty Work is called  

Urban mining it's all about extracting something  usable from the world's discarded electronic

they do it because there's treasure here recovered  in this case by sawing a monitor circuit board  

incredibly there's 100 times more gold in a ton  of smartphones than a ton of gold ore but finding  

it comes with a real cost it's hazardous work and  safety equipment is not exactly standard children  

children as young as 10 toil and sometimes  live amid this toxic garbage desperate for a  

meager payday you're selling this this is all  copper Abdullah Illias endures the sweltering  

heat to pluck out tiny pieces of copper so this is  maybe worth $3 the UN figures we produce around 50  

million tons of electronic waste or e-waste every  year and this is is not what's supposed to happen  

to it only 20% is formally recycled the vast  majority winds up in landfills or is dealt with  

informally these places wouldn't exist without  the demand for the materials they extracts Muntaka  

Chasant has been documenting the lives of those  living on the margins here what cannot be Pride  

out is often burned to extract minerals one of  the ramifications of this is lead exposure among  

Urban poor children but he urged us to see this  place with Nuance the reality is a murky polluted  

gray e-waste provides opportunities for upward  social Mobility you're saying you can't just look  

at this as all bad because this is creating jobs  absolutely but this is also dangerous polluting  

the environment Seth we've been having this  same conversation for more than a decade now  

and absolutely nothing has changed well we've  been talking someone set a fire here you look  

at the pollution that goes into the sky behind  you yes this is what people in accra have been  

living with and just across here is the largest  open Food Market in the city when you burn a lot  

of chemicals are released poisonous chemicals  Anita Asimo is an environmental chemist at  

Ghana's atomic energy commission she's not only a  scientist I me a mother myself and I wouldn't want  

to give poisonous substances to my baby she'd seen  the smoke wafting over homes and markets and food  

is regularly sold in the open at the dump so Anita  Asamoah whether those toxins were so pervasive  

that they were even getting into the breast milk  of mothers what did you find when you examine this  

breast milk PCBs these are poisonous substances  which can result in death which can result in  

diseases like Cancers and infants are even more  susceptible to these chemicals these burdens are  

the consequence of consumption in a much richer  West what you see here is the the result of the  

very very short kind of Cycles we have in using  stuff you buy something you use it you throw  

it away and you throw it away boss unable argues  producers need to consider a product's end of life  

when designing it right now we're incentivized  to throw away stuff because it's cheaper to  

buy a new one than actually have it repaired Bas  van Abel is a Dutch activist turned entrepreneur  

whose investigations into mining practices led  him to start a company called fairphone its aim  

is to create a more sustainable phone and cut  down on scenes like these unfortunately for  

and electronics are designed in a way that you  can't really reuse components and parts of it so  

what happens is that this whole product basically  goes into the oven and you burn it and you get the  

minerals out of it it's a very stupid process  what do you mean stupid process well it's it's  

you know it's kind of stupid to put something in  an incinerator that's that's put so much effort  

into making most of the footprint of a phone is  in the making of it so the best thing is to keep  

it as long as possible it's a bit thicker than  he showed us his fair phone which he Likens to  

Legos because of its removable modular Parts pops  right off yours to open yours to keep the battery  

is not glued in making it simple and inexpensive  to recycle or replace it's the same for the camera  

lens and Screen fairphone which just launched in  the US and sells for up to $700 a piece has half a  

million customers worldwide proof of concept they  say Americans on average upgrade their cell phone  

every 2 and 1/2 years Fairphones under warranty  for five if you use your phone twice as long you  

need to produce only half the amount of phones  and you have half the amount of electronic waste  

it's a very simple calculation imprecise methods  of recycling produce more waste which bleaches  

into the Earth Here pollutants and microplastics  run into a nearby River in the ocean on the beach  

we found Plastics that were not exactly micro oh  our Nets fishermen told us how their Nets tear  

because now their Catch of the Day often includes  E-Waste the refrigerators the laptops it shouldn't  

be around the ocean causes harm it's your waste  so don't just shift your waist to us and tell us  

that it's second hand you can use it come inside  Vincent Kyere calls himself The Graduate scrap  

dealer he's a PhD who's been studying this dump in  the old one nearby known as Agbogbloshie for more  

than a decade I think a lot of people will watch  this and be upset but also feel powerless what  

can people consumers a world away do I believe  strongly that those who are producing this when  

they put this materials on their Market they are  responsible for the end of life we reached out to  

Apple the largest mobile phone seller in the US  Apple did not make someone available to talk with  

us for this story but Samsung one of the largest  electronics manufacturers in the world invited  

us to their store in Palo Alto California where  does the responsibility lie here in Ghana we hear  

it's the producer I think every uh party in the  entire value chain has some responsibility Mark  

Newton is the head of corporate sustainability at  Samsung us he says every product is designed with  

the ultimate end of life life in mind this doesn't  look like a place that's encouraging me to hold on  

to my phone longer it looks like some place that's  encouraging me to buy a new phone well of course  

we want to excite you with the newest technology  but what's cool now we're making our highest  

performing products with 20% recycled Plastics 20%  recycled glass 20% recycled Metals in the back of  

this store there's the first stage of a recycling  operation Samsung takes back Electronics of any  

brand Samsung has recycling centers International  in something like 50 countries but in Africa the  

only one is in South Africa why not in Ghana  Nigeria these places where we know the need  

really exists I think that we're really leaning  into that now so we've fairly recently recognized  

that and in in made a significant commitment to  expand our collection Network globally but this  

recycling effort is largely self- policed in  the United States us the most wasteful country  

per capita on Earth is not part of this very  treaty America has not ratified an agreement  

that 191 other countries support Bas convention  is the treaty that was supposed to deal with this  

phenomenon of hazardous waste suddenly flowing to  developing countries and there is a strong Lobby  

that is happy to have no trade restrictions on  waste Jim Puckett founded the basel Action Network  

a watchdog Group which pushes for proper recycling  once the rich countries realized oh my God we got  

a problem with hazardous waste the price went  up for properly managing it and so the export  

trade took off sending tons of hazardous waste to  the developing World much of it getting through  

customs under the guise of being repairable why  Ghana we have issues of compliance and enforcement  

open the truck Vincent Kyere now runs a recycling  initiative Mountain Research Institute at the  

dump site this is a small project but it is one  possible solution they buy cables to incentivize  

people not to burn them there is a real gray  area here these are important jobs these are  

livelihoods should I sit down and not eat because  if I bend somebody will die if I don't bend I will  

also die so it was not a question of why don't you  close down the place it was rather a question of  

how do you do this better this metal can be reused  Kyere's group is now building a partnership with  

fairphone bas van abel started focusing on the  problems of mining these materials on the front  

end wound up realizing much more can be done to  save what's already been pulled from the earth  

the whole energy transition needs all these  minerals that are found in mines so the best  

thing to do is also to make sure that we can get  recycled sources so that we don't get the minerals  

only from mines but actually take it back from  the products that we already use it's all about  

mining the precious materials we've carelessly  cast aside and managing our garbage with less

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