The E-Waste Tragedy
The illegal recycling of electronics is a downright toxic business, as nearly three-quarters of the waste keep mysteriously disappearing from the recycling system. Every year, up to 50 million tons of…
The E-Waste Tragedy
The illegal recycling of electronics is a downright toxic business, as nearly three-quarters of the waste keep mysteriously disappearing from the recycling system. Every year, up to 50 million tons of electronic waste - computers, television sets, mobile phones, household appliances - are discarded in the developed world. 75% of this waste disappears from the legal recycling circuits, with much of it being dumped illegally in the Third World, where it destroys landscapes and harms lives. This film takes the viewer on a journey of investigation to Europe, China, Africa and the US and reveals a toxic global trade fuelled by greed and corruption. —Cosima Dannoritzer On the outskirts of Accra, the capital of Ghana, poor children dismantle and process the discarded electronic equipment, in an environment filled with foul stench and toxic fumes. In search of answers, the inquisitive journalist, Mike Anane, sets out on a journey across Europe, Asia, and the United States of America, only to find out that almost three-quarters of the discarded electronics end up in the hands of international smuggling nets--even though there are thousands of recycling factories. Furthermore, the use of a staggering 10% of the globe's resources of precious metals such as gold, silver, and copper, leads to the alarming conclusion that we are rapidly depleting our resources. In the end, the world is fighting a lost battle against bureaucracy, corruption, and profit, unless we, as individuals, understand that the consumer frenzy for newer and better devices will inevitably result in a planet crammed with toxic waste. Is this the future we want for our children? —Nick Riganas
The E-Waste Tragedy
Documentary
Film Details
The illegal recycling of electronics is a downright toxic business, as nearly three-quarters of the waste keep mysteriously disappearing from the recycling system. Every year, up to 50 million tons of electronic waste - computers, television sets, mobile phones, household appliances - are discarded in the developed world. 75% of this waste disappears from the legal recycling circuits, with much of it being dumped illegally in the Third World, where it destroys landscapes and harms lives.
This film takes the viewer on a journey of investigation to Europe, China, Africa and the US and reveals a toxic global trade fuelled by greed and corruption. —Cosima Dannoritzer On the outskirts of Accra, the capital of Ghana, poor children dismantle and process the discarded electronic equipment, in an environment filled with foul stench and toxic fumes. In search of answers, the inquisitive journalist, Mike Anane, sets out on a journey across Europe, Asia, and the United States of America, only to find out that almost three-quarters of the discarded electronics end up in the hands of international smuggling nets--even though there are thousands of recycling factories.
Furthermore, the use of a staggering 10% of the globe's resources of precious metals such as gold, silver, and copper, leads to the alarming conclusion that we are rapidly depleting our resources. In the end, the world is fighting a lost battle against bureaucracy, corruption, and profit, unless we, as individuals, understand that the consumer frenzy for newer and better devices will inevitably result in a planet crammed with toxic waste. Is this the future we want for our children? —Nick Riganas.