The Toxic Global Trade of E-Waste: Survival and Health Consequences

Dense smoke plumes are visible for miles emanating from the Agbogbloshie dumpsite. The atmosphere at this vast waste facility, situated in the western part of Ghana’s capital, Accra, is highly hazardous. As one approaches, breathing becomes increasingly difficult, and vision begins to blur. Amidst these fumes, dozens of men gather, awaiting tractors to unload large quantities of cables before igniting them. Others ascend a hill of toxic refuse to retrieve parts from televisions, computers, and washing machines, which they then set alight. These individuals are engaged in extracting valuable metals, such as copper and gold, from electrical and electronic waste, or e-waste. A substantial portion of this material has been transported to Ghana from affluent nations. Young worker Abdulla Yakubu, whose eyes are red and watery as he burns cables and plastic, states, “I don’t feel well.” He adds, “The air, as you can see, is very polluted and I have to work here every day, so it definitely affects our health.” Abiba Alhassan, a mother of four, works near the burning area, sorting used plastic bottles, and she is also affected by the toxic smoke. She reports, “Sometimes, it’s very difficult to breathe even, my chest becomes heavy and I feel very unwell.” E-waste constitutes the world’s fastest-growing waste stream, with 62 million tonnes generated in 2022, representing an 82% increase from 2010, according to a UN report. The primary cause of this rise in e-waste is the increasing electronification of our societies. This ranges from smartphones, computers, and smart alarms to automobiles equipped with electronic devices, all of which are experiencing a steady increase in demand. For instance, annual smartphone shipments have more than doubled since 2010, reaching 1.2 billion in 2023, as detailed in a UN Trade and Development report published this year. The UN indicates that only about 15% of the world’s e-waste is recycled. Consequently, unscrupulous companies seek to dispose of it elsewhere, often through intermediaries who then illegally transport the waste out of the country. This type of waste is challenging to recycle due to its complex composition, which includes toxic chemicals, metals, plastics, and elements that cannot be easily separated and reprocessed. Even developed countries lack adequate infrastructure for managing e-waste. UN investigators report a significant increase in the trafficking of e-waste from developed nations and rapidly emerging economies. The World Customs Organisation has found that e-waste is now the most frequently seized item, accounting for one in six of all types of waste seizures globally. Officials at Italy’s Naples port demonstrated to the BBC World Service how traffickers mis-declared and concealed e-waste, which they stated comprised approximately 30% of their seizures. They presented a scan of a container bound for Africa, ostensibly carrying a car. However, when port officials opened the container, broken vehicle parts and e-waste were stacked inside, with oil leaking from some items. “You don’t pack your personal goods like this, much of it is meant for dumping,” says Luigi Garruto, an investigator with the European Anti-Fraud Office (Olaf), who collaborates with port officials across Europe. In the UK, officials also report an increase in trafficked e-waste. At the Port of Felixstowe, Ben Ryder, a spokesman for the UK Environment Agency, stated that waste items were often incorrectly declared as reusable. In reality, he explained, they are “broken down for precious metals and then illegally burnt after they reach the destination” in countries like Ghana. Traffickers also attempt to hide e-waste by grinding it down and blending it with other forms of plastic that can be exported with the correct paperwork, he added. A previous report by the World Customs Organization indicated an increase of almost 700% in the trafficking of end-of-life motor vehicles, a substantial source of e-waste. However, experts contend that such seizures and reported incidents represent only a small portion of the overall problem. Although no comprehensive global study has traced all e-waste trafficked from the developed world, the UN e-waste report shows that countries in Southeast Asia remain a primary destination. Nevertheless, with some of these countries now intensifying efforts against waste trafficking, UN investigators and campaigners suggest that more e-waste is being diverted to African countries. In Malaysia, officials confiscated 106 containers of hazardous e-waste from May to June 2024, according to Masood Karimipour, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. However, UN investigators note that traffickers frequently outsmart authorities with new smuggling tactics, and governments struggle to keep pace. “When ships carrying hazardous waste like e-waste cannot easily offload them in their usual destination, they turn their beacon off when they are in the middle of the sea so that they cannot be detected,” said Mr. Karimapour. “And the illegal shipment is dumped at sea as part of a business model of organised crime activity.” He further stated, “There are far too many groups and far too many countries profiting from this global criminal enterprise.” When e-waste is incinerated or discarded, the plastics and metals it contains can pose significant risks to human health and have detrimental effects on the environment, a recent report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicated. The WHO also highlights that many recipient countries engage in informal e-waste recycling, meaning untrained individuals, including women and children, perform the work without protective equipment or proper infrastructure, leading to exposure to toxic substances like lead. The International Labour Organisation and WHO estimate that millions of women and child laborers working in the informal recycling sector may be affected. These organizations also state that exposure during foetal development and in children can cause neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioural disorders. Beginning January 2025, the Basel Convention, a global waste treaty, will require exporters to declare all e-waste and obtain permission from recipient countries. Investigators are optimistic that this will close some of the loopholes that traffickers have been exploiting to ship such waste worldwide. However, certain countries, including the US—a major e-waste exporter—have not ratified the Basel Convention. Campaigners cite this as a reason for the continued e-waste trafficking. “As we start to crack down, the US is now more and more shipping trucks across the border to Mexico,” said Jim Puckett, executive director of Basel Action Network, an organisation campaigning to end toxic trade including e-waste. Back at the Agbogbloshie scrapyard in Ghana, the situation is worsening daily. Abiba reports that she spends nearly half of the money she earns from collecting waste on medicines to treat conditions resulting from her work at the dump. She states, “But I am still here because this is my means of survival and that of my family.” The Ghana Revenue Authority and the Environment Ministry did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.