Environment Agency Chairman Lord Smith has called for a European alliance to tackle the toxic trade in electrical waste into Africa.
In a speech to INTERPOL in Lyon, the environment chief called for better cooperation and exchange of intelligence across national borders to stop a crime that poses a “growing and persistent risk to human health and the environment”.
Lord Smith revealed that the Environment Agency for England and Wales currently provides criminal intelligence on illegal waste exports to 46 countries but has so far received intelligence from only 10 countries in return.
The EA already has an intelligence sharing agreement with countries outside Europe – including the US EPA.
The illegal export of electrical waste – such as TV, laptops and mobile phones – is the single biggest growth area in environmental crime. Despite 50 million tonnes of e-waste being generated annually worldwide, only 10% is being recycled – the remainder is landfilled, reused or illegally exported.
European law is clear – it is always illegal to export electrical waste to be dumped overseas. Working or reparable electrical items can be exported for reuse, but there is overwhelming evidence that broken electrical items are being exported abroad.
“Electrical waste contains toxins including mercury, arsenic and lead, and the health of children in the developing world is being put at risk when this waste is illegally exported and then burnt to recover the valuable metals inside,” Lord Smith said.
“Not only are children being exploited and their health put at risk when they carry out this work, but the toxins are also contaminating air, land and water.”
Today’s speech follows the announcement last month by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, that e-waste is among her organisations top six priorities.
She said: “The electronics that provide us with convenience often end up discarded in developing countries where improper disposal can threaten local people and the environment. EPA will work with international partners to address the issues of e-waste.”
Environment Agency investigations have shown that organised crime networks involved in the illegal export of electrical waste are often involved in other serious criminal activity including theft, people trafficking, fraud, drugs, smuggling, conspiracy, firearms and money laundering.
“Our intelligence picture has helped us uncover a network of the major players in waste crime, and we have four prosecutions due in court over the next six weeks," he said.
“An intelligence-based approach is proactive rather than reactive. In the past, we might have inspected containers in random spot-checks at ports and occasionally we would have come across one containing illegal material.
“Now we gather intelligence from law enforcement agencies, NGOs, public and private industry, shipping lines and the community. We no longer waste valuable time on largely unsuccessful fishing expeditions. Our hit rate over the past year has been 98%.”
Lord Smith said the INTERPOL E-Waste Crime Group had been created to develop intelligence, information and understanding, so that law enforcement agencies know where and when to intervene.
“In a world market, the key to combating illegal exports lies in developing this intelligence-based approach and increasing the exchange of information across boundaries,” he said.
“But in order to tackle the problem more effectively we need each country to assess the size and scale of the problem in their own territory and work with all of us, across boundaries, to tackle it.”
Patrick Walters, Commercial Director of Associated British Ports, which handles around one-quarter of the UK’s seaborne trade, commented: “We support the Environment Agency’s efforts to stop the illegal exporting of the UK’s electrical waste to Africa. As the UK’s largest ports group, ABP is happy to share intelligence with the EA which could lead to the elimination of this illegal trade.”
Greenpeace International toxic chemicals campaigner, Iza Kruszeweska, said: “European Government’s need to up their game on monitoring what’s happening with electrical waste within their country and what’s being exported. Europe has a ban on exports, but it’s meaningless if it isn’t enforced.
“Manufacturers also need to play a bigger part eliminating harmful substances from within their equipment, while offering take-back and responsible recycling programmes for their customers.”
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