Greenpeace today revealed through the report "Waste Information. The other side of technology (1) "that in 2011 computers will be discarded 1,200,000 (2), so that the organization claims to the senators the urgent enactment of the Law of Electronic Waste, which has been delayed for more three years.



Greenpeace says it is urgent to establish an electronic waste management in the country.
Greenpeace further alleged that Argentina has a system of e-waste management can deal with the continued growth of e-waste and environmental and health impacts that they generate. "Computers, printers, keyboards, like other electronic devices contain heavy metals and toxic chemicals hazardous to health and the environment, one of the greatest potential for contamination are rechargeable batteries in laptops. Despite this and witnessing the constant technological change, Argentina still lacks a management system for proper treatment and recycling of these devices, "said Yanina Rullo, campaign Waste Electrical and Electronic Greenpeace.

According to the environmental organization the size of the computer park in the country has more than doubled in recent years: from a flat in 4,900,000 units in 2006 climbed to 11,600,000 in 2010 and is projected addition of more than 5 million units in the next 2 years. Greenpeace warned that the disposal of a large fraction of such devices in the coming years will generate significant environmental problems and health are not established an appropriate management system.

In recent years, the life cycle of computers is significantly reduced: for a desktop computer within an estimated value of seven years and five for laptops, because the design for the landfill "achieved through planned obsolescence (3) of the devices has generated a turnover rate ever faster for this type of product. At present, this type of waste ends up in dumps or landfills with common household waste.



Inset: Compounds pollutants in the PC. Click on the image to enlarge

"We must remember also that the growth of consumption and disposal of electrical and electronic equipment generates a pressure on natural resources. In the period 2008/2009, for example, only global sales of phones and computers accounted for 19% of the output of the global copper mining, 3% of global gold mining, 4% silver and 16% extraction of palladium. These are all materials generated in mining environmental impact of huge proportions and that once the waste disposed of these electronic products end up in landfills or landfills without being reused, "added Rullo.

According to the operators permitted in the country, in Argentina is recycled less than 2% of waste electrical and electronic equipment put on the market and from 4% to 6% of WEEE from the technology sector. Taking into account that Argentina is generating more than 120,000 tons of electronic waste, the low recovery rate is alarming. (4)

"It is urgent and necessary to establish an electronic waste management in the country. We can not continue to witness the rise of electronic waste and hope to solve the problem when it is too late, "said Maria Eugenia Testa, political director of Greenpeace Argentina.

In the Senate Environment Committee National is a bill first introduced in 2008 which establishes the Minimum Standards for Management and Treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. The project sets up a special infrastructure for recycling and material recovery, legal and financial responsibility to producers of electrical and electronic management of their products after their useful life, and forbids the presence of hazardous substances in new devices, while ensuring greater product durability.

"After more than three years of discussion with input from civil society organizations, national and international experts, government agencies, carriers and enterprises, the Law on Electronic Waste is still blocked in the Senate. While still delaying the adoption of this rule, the disposal of electronic devices continues to grow, without a proper management system to prevent environmental and health impacts caused by their bad attitude, " Testa concluded.

Source Greenpeace Argentina