You can download and install a nicely animated screensaver. Click [find out more ...] to view, download and install it
United Nations study warns of health and environmental dangers of e-waste
A United Nations landmark study - co-authored by Umicore and Swiss research institute EMPA - warned on February 22 that unless action is stepped up to properly collect and recycle materials, many developing countries face rapidly increasing piles of electronic waste, threatening the environment and public health.
The report, "Recycling - from E-Waste to Resources" predicts that e-waste from old computers in India alone will grow by 500 % from 2007 levels by 2020, only ten years from now. Other countries such as South Africa or China also face increases of respectively 200 % and 400 %.
The report underlines the need to establish ambitious, formal and regulated processes for collecting and managing electronic waste. Boosting developing country e-waste recycling rates could boost employment, cut greenhouse gase emissions and recover a wide range of valuable precious and other metals.
"One person's waste can be another's raw material. The challenge of dealing with e-waste represents an important step in the transition to a green economy," says Konrad Osterwalder, the Under-Secretary General of the United Nations.
The report helps to achieve this transition, outlining smart technologies and mechanisms to transform waste into assets, creating new green businesses.
