DIGC 102 Power Point Preso

8/9/2019 DIGC 102 Power Point Preso

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DIGC102 PRESENTATION

WHAT ROLE DOES THE UNITED NATIONS HAVE IN REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF

ELECTRONIC WASTE?

Bert van Dijk


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QUESTION:

I have investigated the United Nation sinitiative in relation to e-waste reduction and

in doing so examined their: Pol icies

Proj ects Task f or ces

In order to discover the role which the UnitedNations has in reducing the amount of e-

waste.


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StEPInitativeConsists of three U.N. agencies, several government

bodies, 16 companies and schools such as theMassachusetts Institute of Technology and UnitedNations University [which has] teamed up to increase

recycling efforts and find ways to extend the usefullives of electronic products" (Carlson 2010)

EM PA \Um icor ePr eci ou s M eta l RefiningBo2W proj ect Chih o-Tiande, China


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Taskforce 1: Pol icy Report and analyze the status of existing

approaches and particular policies forelectronic waste and used electronic products.

Based on this, we explore recommendationsfor future developments to solve the e-wasteproblem (Kuehr, R 2010)

http://www.step-initiative.org


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Taskforce 1: Pol icy

W ithin the UN system, we are really trying towork together with various UN agencies toreally make it happen and to bring this topicfrom the purely environment field to have adevelopment agenda [concerned withindustrial expansion]. (Sonnemann, 2010)


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Taskforce 2: ReDesignW e contribute to the StEP aim solving the e-waste

problem by fostering the re-design of electric andelectronic equipment in order to reduce negativeimpacts of their entire life cycle. The status inindustrializing countries is taken into particularaccount (Kuehr, R 2010)The UN is working in conjunction with IT giants HP,Dell, Microsoft and Cisco in order to execute effectiveredesign policies (Murry, 2007)



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Taskforce 3: ReUse

Focus on the development of replicable andsustainable reuse/refurbishment/spare partsdevelopment systems in order to minimizeenvironmental, health and safety impacts especially in industrializing countries. (Kuehr,R 2010)



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Taskforce 4: ReCycl eHarmonizing world legislative and policy approaches to

e-scrap are prime goals of a United Nations global public-private initiative called Solving the E- W aste Problem(StEP). (No author, Advanced M ate r ia l s & Pro cesses 165.5 ( 2007): 23 . )

Enhance infrastructures, systems and technologies torealize sustainable e-waste recycling, especially inindustrializing countries. W e want to initiateinternational, inter-stakeholder cooperative activities anddialogues in order to find economically, environmentallyand socially sound solutions. (Kuehr, R 2010)



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Taskforce 4: ReCycl e

Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Morocco and South Africa asplaces which it said had huge potential to introduce state-of-the-art recycling technologies for e-waste. (Bawaba, A2010)

For several African nations such as Kenya, Peru, Senegaland Uganda where the volume of e-waste is expected torise rapidly in the coming years, the report recommendedthe introduction of manual dismantling. (Bawaba, 2010)Manual dismantling is an innovative recycling practice as itwill be effective in creating jobs, particularly in developingcountries as it doesn t require thorough studying andtraining. (Hagelueken, C et a l . 2007)


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Taskforce 5: Capacity B ui l ding

Increase public, scientific and business awarenessregarding the global e-waste problem by offeringopen access to the knowledge and experiencesgained in the activities of the Task Forces 1 - 4 as wellas of related and welcomed initiatives in global e-waste Communities of Practice (Kuehr, R 2010)



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Steiner was quoted stating that the advanceplanning to boost recycling of e-waste in

developing nations could, t ur n an e -cha ll enge int o an e -o pp or t unity by

cr eating jobs, c utting g r eenh ou se gas

em issi ons and r ecove r ing a h ost o f va luab l emeta l s. ( 2010)

As well as curbing health problems and boosting

developing countries e-waste recycling.


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O ne pe r son s waste can be an othe r sr aw mate r ia l The cha ll enge o f dea l ing with e -waste r ep r esents an i m por tant step in the

t r ansiti on t o a g r een ec onom y. ( O ste r wa l de r ,K 2007)


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In Conclusion

Q. WHAT ROLE DOES THE UNITED NATIONS HAVE IN REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF ELECTRONIC

WASTE?

A. .The United Nation s implementation of theStEP initiative is evidence of the United Nation sbeing engaged in resolving the expanding e-wasteproblem. The taskforces implemented throughthe StEP initiative illustrate many effectivetechniques to assist with decreasing the amountof electronic waste.


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HOW EVER

The Basel Action Network, a Seattle-basedenvironmental watchdog, argue the initiativeis designed to exploit cheap foreign labor and

undermines international law establishedfollowing the U.N. Basel Convention in 1992.

(Carlson, 2007)


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DO YOU AGREE?


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Reference List:Adams, G 2010, E-waste likely to threaten environment and public health in developing countries,transcript, United Nations Radio, 22 Feburary, accessed March 24th 2010,http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/detail/91206.html .Bawaba, A 2010, UN warns of e-waste threat, Alj azee r a.net, 22 Febur a r y, accessed 23 .3.10 , ProQu estCent r a l Carlson, C 2007, StEPping Up, W aste Age, v ol .38 , iss ue.4, pg 8-10 , accessed M a r ch 24th2010 , Business S our ce Pr em ier Hagelueken, C, Kuehr, R, Magalini, F, Maurer, C, Meskers, C, Mueller, E, Schluep M, W ang F, 2009,Recyc l ing - F rom E -waste t o Resour ces, Repor t t o the UNE P , Germ any

Johnson, B 2010, Dumped electronics are global health risk, says UN, The G ua r dian, 23 Febur a r y, pg 1 8 , accessed M a r ch 23r d 2010 , ProQu estCent r aKuehr, R 2010, St E P-initiative, accessed 23 .3.10 , http :// www.step -initiative. or g / taskf or ces / tf1.phpMurray, J 2007, UN to harmonisee-waste schemes, IT W eek, 12 March, pg 1, accessed March 23rd2010, ProQu estCent r aU.N. 2007, Industry partner to create standards for e-scrap recycling, Advanced M ate r ia l s &

Pro cesses, v ol .165.5, iss ue. 23 , accessed M

a r ch 24th, Acade m icO

neFi l eUnited Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, 2009, W asteM anage ment (Haza r d ou s and S ol id W astes ) , United Nati ons E conom ic and S ocia l C omm issi on f or Asia and the Pacific, Bangk ok UN News Service, 2010, accessed 24.3.10,http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33845&Cr=waste&Cr1

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