History of Transboundary Movement and Management of Electronic Waste: 2000s to 2020s

History of Transboundary Movement and Management of Electronic Waste: 2000s to 2020s

The transboundary movement of electronic waste (e-waste) was a major topic of discussion at the 8th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2006. In August of the same year, a Dutch company, Trafigura, illegally dumped approximately 500 tons of hazardous waste in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, killing 15 people, hospitalizing 69, and poisoning over 108,000. In response to this incident, the Nairobi Declaration was adopted, emphasizing proper management of e-waste and tighter regulation of transboundary movements.

In compliance with the Basel Convention, imports and exports of waste containing lead, cadmium, mercury, and other hazardous substances were strictly restricted, and the promotion of "environmentally friendly design" at the product design stage was proposed. As a result, major countries such as Japan, Germany, the U.S., and China have made progress in strengthening recycling standards and legislation. Developing countries were also supported to improve their waste management capacity through technology transfer and financial assistance.

In 2010, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) once again highlighted the international challenges of e-waste in its Green Report on E-Waste. According to the report, some 40 million tons of e-waste are generated annually, much of which is exported to developing countries and improperly disposed of. In Nigeria, in particular, it was noted that 70% of imported e-waste is non-reusable and that environmental pollution from illegal dumping and incineration is becoming more serious.

Furthermore, in the early 2010s, the Guiyu region of Guangdong Province, China, attracted attention as the world's largest e-waste processing center. Manual disassembly and improper chemical processing of e-waste in this area led to serious soil and water contamination from lead, dioxin, and other toxic substances.

In the 2020s, the e-waste problem became even worse. The United Nations University reports that 53.6 million tons of e-waste will be generated worldwide in 2019, a 21% increase in five years. This increase is mainly due to the growing consumption of electrical and electronic equipment and the shortening of product life spans. In particular, approximately 24.9 million tons were generated in Asia, accounting for about 46% of the global total. In Africa, on the other hand, only about 2.9 million tons were generated, but improper waste management is causing environmental pollution and health hazards.

For example, in the Agbogbrosi district of Ghana, improper incineration has generated toxic gases that have caused health hazards to nearby residents. Meanwhile, major electronics manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung have strengthened their recycling programs to reduce their environmental impact, but more efforts are needed.

In 2021, new guidelines for the import and export of e-waste under the Basel Convention were established, requiring countries to properly manage this waste. Also in Japan, the "Small Home Appliance Recycling Law" was revised in 2020 to expand the number of items to be recycled and to strengthen the collection system. This is expected to lead to appropriate e-waste management and resource recycling in Japan.

Thus, proper management of e-waste and strengthening of regulations on transboundary movement of e-waste have been important issues in the past and present to protect the environment and people's health, and international cooperation and sustained efforts by each country are required.