electronic waste - The African Mirror

Mar

2022

Keyboard as art and saving the world

ANGE KUMASSI, BIRD STORY AGENCY ADMIRERS call him a "master in the art of electronic waste." Born in the city of Buyo, in the southwest of the Ivory Coast, Mounou Désiré Koffi has always had a passion for art. That passion - and his obvious skill, recognised throughout his school-going years and then through college - gave him what so many creatives on the continent dream of… professional training and then a career in visual art. "After my studies, I wanted to embark on a professional career; painting, trying to stand out, bringing creativity to my work," he told bird…

Jun

2021

By The African Mirror

For Dutch firm, buyers’ fee in Europe gets e-waste recycled in Africa

ENVIRONMENT

ANGELA UKOMADU and ANTHONY DEUTSCH AFTER years of struggling to make a living selling recyclable parts from electronic waste recovered in Africa, Dutchman Joost de Kluijver realised he needed a new business model if his firm was going to survive. So in 2016, Closing the Loop began tagging a fee onto new device purchases by its clients, which include major bank ABN Amro and the Dutch government. By adding roughly 5 euros ($6) per phone and 15 euros ($18) per laptop, Closing the Loop now funds electronic waste collections in a string of African countries including Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon,…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

Toxic waste dumping in the Gulf of Guinea amounts to environmental racism

ENVIRONMENT

TOXIC waste and electronic waste (e-waste) is generated from a wide range of industries – such as health, hydrocarbon or manufacturing – and can come in many forms, such as sludges or gas. E-waste is used electronic items that are nearing the end of their useful life, and are discarded or given to be recycled. If these types of waste aren’t properly discarded they can cause serious harm to human health and the environment. IFESINACHI OKAFOR-YARWOOD, Lecturer, University of St Andrews This makes the proper disposal of toxic and e-waste expensive. Because of this a market has been created and…