How are the West's 'recycled' TVs and computers ending up in a toxic
dump in Ghana? Dateline investigates the trade in e-waste which is
poisoning a once picturesque part of Africa.
The effects
of electronic waste in Ghana is unequivocal: "total devastation",
from stunted growth of children to cancer and chronic conditions. 500
container-loads of electronic waste arrive every month, often falsely
declared as second-hand goods to overcome the problem of it being
illegal to ship toxic e-waste without a permit. "They have no moral right to allow their waste to come in here",
the director of Ghana's Environmental Agency says. The UN is moving
slowly closer to banning toxic waste exports, yet for the local
Ghanaians the nightmare will take generations to overcome.
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