Policy closes in on illegal exports of WEEE

摘要

ELECTRONIC WASTE IS DAMAGING THE ENVIRONMENT AND HARMING people's health. You may have seen images on TV of people in developing countries burning such waste, trying to extract its constituent precious resources. In the process, they are releasing harmful chemicals and heavy metals into their environment, leaving soil and rivers polluted for decades and their bodies riddled with toxins. How can we allow this situation to occur? Strong legislation exists at international, national and regional levels to prevent waste from being shipped to non-OECD countries for disposal. But waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) such as TVs, computers and mobile phones are still finding their way out of the country. Typically, they are being mislabeled as second-hand goods, the shipment of which is not a crime.