Janez Potočnik- European Commissioner of the Environment,

 

 

This petition is supported by global signatures, and concerns the current European e-waste disposal legislation. Research indicates that 85% of containers arriving in Ghana with redundant electronic goods came from Europe in 2012. The role of Waste Electronic and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is to aid in the reduction of this problem and in order to fulfil this role most effectively, improvements must be made.

 

Lack of follow-through from the WEEE directive means the African dumping grounds continue paying the price of European inaction. Only one third of electronic waste is recycled through the regulations of the WEEE directive. Two thirds of the electronic waste that evades this government directive is illegally sent to African developing nations such as Ghana.

 

This has destructive consequences on the human and natural environments. Burning of the toxic by-products such as beryllium, mercury, and brominated flame retardants causes life-threatening health implications in poverty-stricken communities. These toxic by-products have also polluted the air and contaminated soil, while local water from wells has become hazardously undrinkable.

 

The practice contradicts the UN’s Millennium Development Goal 7, which has been signed by the European Union, and aims to ensure environmental sustainability. Target 7C to “halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation” is being directly violated through digital dumping. In addition to this, according to the DIRECTIVE 2012/19/EU in 1.2, WEEE’s aim is “to preserve, protect and improve the quality of the environment, to protect human health and to utilize natural resources prudently and rationally.” This is not being met.

 

Therefore, the action we request is to develop a Europe-wide recycling scheme whereby appliance collection services are offered free of charge to consumers. The cost of recycling the electronic product will be included in the initial purchase price called the Advance Recycling Fee (ARF). This option has had proven results in Switzerland and several states in Canada such as Alberta.

 

The ARF is used to pay for the collection, the transport and the recycling of the disposed appliances. The minimum to charge is 0.80 euros on small items such as hairdryers and electric shavers to up to 16.50 euros for TVs or 33.10 euros for refrigerators.

 

This issue lies in your administrative power as the WEEE directive was initially created by European Union and thus has control over the actions taken. However, since this area directly violates important environmental ethics and causes hazards in countries outside Europe due to the actions or lack thereof of European authorities, the Commission of Environment is most appropriate to petition.

 

 

Sincerely,

Samantha Rogers

YEAR 9 STUDENT