19 February 2009 - Hampshire’s Green MEP has written to the European Commission to call for urgent action on the export of illegal electronic waste following a joint investigation by The Independent, Sky News and Greenpeace which revealed that large amounts of the UK’s toxic e-waste is being illegally shipped abroad.

The high profile investigation tracked a broken television, which should have been classed as toxic waste and disposed of within the UK under EU law, from a Hampshire County Council civic amenity site in Basingstoke to a giant electronics market in Lagos, Nigeria.

Dr Caroline Lucas, Green MEP for the South East, urged the EU to tighten its laws on waste, and for producers and local authorities to take their responsibilities seriously. She said:

"Tonnes of toxic waste are being collected from British municipal dumps like this one in Basingstoke and sent illegally to the developing world every year – putting the UK in serious breach of its obligation to ensure safe disposal of electrical goods.

"The UK produces an estimated 940,000 tonnes of domestic electronic waste every year - around 15% of the EU’s total e-waste. Producers and local authorities are failing to uphold EU law by allowing waste to be bought up by dealers, who make a profit from sending it abroad.

"This rubbish ends up on massive waste dumps in the developing world, where burning plastics, heavy metals like lead and carcinogenic chemicals flow into rivers and pollute the air. What we’re talking about here is an environmental and human health disaster - with impoverished children rummaging for items to sell being exposed to a lethal cocktail of chemicals.

"Under the EU’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE), manufacturers should collect e-waste from consumers free of charge, and dispose of it in an ecologically friendly manner. And any item of e-waste that is damaged beyond repair should not leave the UK. The European Commission has already recognised that the law is failing to prevent this illegal trade, but it must act now to improve regulation and coherence."

Dr Lucas continued: "The UK recycling industry is clearly in a mess and open to widespread abuse by sub contractors. The fact that no one along the waste disposal chain acted to stop this particular broken television from being illegally exported makes it clear that even those people who do their bit to recycle waste can’t be sure it won’t end up in landfill or on some dump in the developing world.

"We need much more stringent checks at all levels, and for local authorities to be vigilant of waste disposal sub-contractors. The Government must also encourage producers to take responsibility for the collection and responsible disposal of unusable items.

"Ultimately though, the UK’s huge waste problem is a consequence of throwaway consumer culture, where the market is flooded with cheap electronic goods to satisfy an obsession with the very latest gadgets – many of which are already technologically ‘out of date’ before they even hit the shelves. The Greens are calling for Government waste reduction strategies and practical measures which make it easier for people to recycle and reuse."

ENDS