The Global Environment and Trade E-Waste under the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions World Trade Organization CTE Meeting, 15 November 2016

Global Waste Movements The global waste sector valued at at least USD 410 billion a year, takes several forms: Firstly a legal industry sustaining business and environmental protection, Secondly an unregulated sometimes even informal business, that is important for recycling and job creation as well, but with health risks and challenges of monitoring the safety and sound management; Thirdly, trafficking in hazardous waste and chemicals by organized crime. The Rise of Environmental Crime, UNEP-INTERPOL (2016)

“Waste” – Legal or Illegal? “Waste” itself is not illegal It is actual “transboundary movements of waste in violation of applicable rules of law” that is illegal

Illegal Traffic (Basel Convention, Article 9.1) No Notification No Consent Consent through fraud Material-Document Nonconform Resulting in Deliberate Disposal in Contravention

Consumed electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) will generate: 40-50 million tonnes of e-waste globally each year

E-Waste Definition What is e-waste? …or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)? Generic term to describe old, end-of-life or discarded appliances using electricity which have been disposed of by their original users.

A rapidly growing problem: The volume of obsolete PCs generated in developing regions will exceed that of developed regions by 2016-2018. By 2030, the obsolete PCs from developing regions will reach 400-700 million units, far more than from developed regions at 200-300 million units. Yu et al. (2010)

Export of E-waste Lewis (2011)

Socio-economic impacts: Daily income of: (US$) Collectors on dump sites 0.2 – 0.5 Door-to-door collectors 1.7 – 3.3 Refurbishing workshop employee 2.2 – 3.4 Refurbishing workshop owner 67.2 – 222 UNEP SBC (2011)

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