Electronic Trash Exported to Africa

A report from the Basel Action Network (BAN) reveals that large quantities of obsolete computers, televisions, mobile phones, and other electronic waste—donated presumably for reuse and repair—are gathering dust in warehouses or being dumped and burned in empty lots and swamps near Lagos, Nigeria. Leachate and smoke from the old equipment, much of it from the U.S. and Europe, can cause serious environmental contamination because they contain such toxic materials as lead, mercury, barium, and brominated flame retardants. Although many businesses in Lagos have the ability to repair discarded electronic equipment, about 75% of the imported equipment is not economically repairable, the report says. “Things are completely out of control,” says Jim Puckett, coordinator of BAN who led the investigation. “Manufacturers have got to get toxic chemicals out of electronic goods.” Many of the computers that end up in Nigeria are discarded from U.S. schools and government agencies and donated to recycling businesses in the U.S. Often, the businesses ship them overseas to avoid the expense of repair and responsible disposal, BAN says. The report is available at www.ban.org.