Toxics E-Waste Documentation in Ghana (Dutch Version)

Campaigner Kim Schoppink stands on a garbage dump in Ghana where electronics from The Netherlands and the western part of Europe ends up. The locals burn and break up these electronics. She calls up companies like Philips to remove toxics and take back the used electronics.

In original language:

Toxics E-Waste Documentatie in Ghana (Nederlandse Versie)

Campaigneleider Kim Schoppink op een vuilstortplaats in Ghana waar elektronica uit Nederland en West Europa belandt. Deze worden uit elkaar gehaald en verbrand door de lokale bevolking. Zij roept bedrijven zoals Philips op om hun giftige stoffen te verwijderen en de gebruikte elektronica terug te nemen.

Unique identifier: GP0STOFZ7

Type: Video

Shoot date: 01/04/2008

Locations: Ghana

Credit line: © Greenpeace

Duration: 4m58s

Ranking: ★★★★ (E)

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Toxics E-Waste Documentation in Ghana

Greenpeace visits Ghana to investigate workplace contamination from e-waste recycling and disposal in the country and uncovers evidence that e-waste is being exported, often illegally, to Ghana from Europe and the US.
The majority of second-hand electrical goods that are exported to Ghana from developed countries are beyond repair and are either dumped or "recycled" in a crude fashion.
In the yards, unprotected workers, many of them children, dismantle computers and TVs with little more then stones in search of metals that can be sold. The remaining plastic, cables and casing is either burnt or simply dumped.
Some of the samples tested by Greenpeace contained toxic metals including lead in quantities as much as one hundred times above background levels. Other chemicals such as phthalates, some of which are known to interfere with sexual reproduction, were found in most of the samples tested. One sample also contained a high level of chlorinated dioxins, known to promote cancer.

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