Changing the Global E-waste Cycle
Date & time
Location
For more information and to register, please visit http://graham.umich.edu/e-waste-april-2018
Join us for an in-depth look at informal electronic waste recycling communities in Ghana, Thailand, and Chile.
During this all-day public event, experts in sustainability, population health, policy, and design processes will lead discussions on the complex issues surrounding global production and transportation of electronic waste and its impact on vulnerable communities around the world.
A Global and Growing Threat
Electronic waste (e-waste) is a global and growing threat to human and ecosystem health. Due to the high turnover rate of electronics, e-waste is increasing exponentially.
Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear a disproportionate burden of the impacts of e-waste, as higher-income countries often export waste to be recycled or disposed of in these less expensive settings. While this creates much-needed employment opportunities in LMICs, the informal recycling and disposal methods recover only a fraction of potentially recyclable materials. Additionally, e-waste workers and communities are exposed to a myriad of hazardous agents and conditions during this recycling process.
A number of corporations, researchers, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are currently evaluating solutions to reducing e-waste generation and increasing safe recycling processes. Our project is aimed at engaging these experts and stakeholders in discussions that will lead to community-led, research-based solutions that address the substantial existing public health hazards associated with e-waste.
Research Findings to Inform Solutions
Our morning session will focus on specific research findings from recycling communities in Ghana, Thailand, and Chile. This research will lay the groundwork for an afternoon session that will highlight broader issues and ramifications of e-waste recycling. Our experts will follow their presentations with panel discussions that will include questions and comments from audience members. See the schedule for more details.
This event is part of an on-going research project, and the ideas gleaned from the panels will provide the foundation for subsequent meetings of experts and stakeholders to develop recommendations and next-steps for addressing this multifaceted issue.
Event support provided by the University of Michigan's Graham Sustainability Institute and School of Public Health, and cosponsored by the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Learn more about our partners and sponsors.