Open-air landfills are an environmental health problem around the world, especially in developing countries, but also in some developed countries. Modern sanitary landfills with layering, liners, covering, leachate collection systems, and methane collection systems mitigate much of the potential pollution from waste where they are built.
It’s an open secret that much
of our plastic waste was and is shipped abroad, and some ends up in open-air
landfills. China stopped receiving it several years ago, but some other
countries still receive some. Sometimes American recycled plastic ends up in
landfills, too, which defeats the purpose of the attempt to recycle.
Electronic waste, or e-waste,
is also sorted and collected in open-air landfills that present new dangers. In
several developing countries, people sort through the e-waste to separate some
of the more valuable components. They don’t make much money doing it, but every
little bit helps when you are dirt poor. The practice of open burning of
e-waste is a practice that can produce air pollution that is quite toxic.
Here are some facts about
e-waste according to the World Health Organization (WHO):
“The Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP)
estimates that 62 million tonnes of e-waste were generated in 2022. This was
equivalent to 7.8 kg of e-waste for every person in the world in 2022.”
“Only 22.3% of e-waste was documented globally as being
properly collected and recycled in 2022. The remaining e-waste was likely
dumped, traded or recycled under inferior conditions.”
“Even in areas with well-organized waste management
systems, e-waste is often discarded alongside other solid waste and ends up in
landfills. Such discarded e-waste can leach hazardous substances into aquifers
and drinking water supplies and can pose significant risks to human health and
the environment.”
“The reliance on and use of a wide range of technologies
is growing exponentially around the world. Additionally, rapid obsolescence is
causing faster replacement cycles, and technological advances are creating new
products containing valuable and dangerous components, such as electric cars
and e-cigarettes. Without action, these factors are expected to lead to record
amounts of e-waste. Annual global e-waste levels are expected to reach 82
million tonnes by 2030.”
WHO also notes that more than
1000 harmful substances have been documented as components of e-waste and its
improper recycling. These contaminants include heavy metals such as lead,
cadmium, nickel, and mercury, and other pollutants such as dioxins, brominated
flame retardants, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These can create air,
water, soil, and dust pollution. There are multiple avenues of exposure to
these toxins. Tens of millions of women and children are working on reclaiming
and recycling e-waste in what is known as the informal waste sector. The UN and
many experts have called for better regulations to protect these informal
workers. Better recycling infrastructure for e-waste is also needed.
Open burning and acid
digestion are two common practices that process e-waste, which are particularly
concerning. Acid digestion involves using strong, corrosive acids to dissolve
electronic components and extract valuable metals.
Kristen Lawrence, writing for
‘The Cool Down,’ notes that some developing countries, particularly in Africa,
Asia, and Latin America, do not produce much e-waste but receive much of it:
“Research shows that "Africa generates the least
e-waste per capita," but it seems to have the greatest environmental
burden from unwanted electronics. PBS reported that lax regulations and legal
loopholes allow Western countries to ship large quantities of e-waste to poorer
nations like Ghana, where it's much cheaper to dispose of it than to properly
recycle it.”
Companies in developed
countries are trying to take back more of the e-waste they generate with
collection and “take back” programs, and more facilities are opening to recycle
e-waste according to regulations. Countries like Ghana, in West Africa, a major
hub for e-waste, have passed rules for better e-waste management, requiring all
e-waste importers to pay fees and register with Ghana’s EPA. There are other
initiatives as well.
“Mainly funded by the EU, the ‘E-MAGIN Ghana’ project
was launched in 2018 in this context, to improve e-waste management in Ghana
through an integrated multi-stakeholder approach. The project is implemented by
a consortium of partners led by the University of Cape Coast.”
This EU-funded initiative has
the following objectives:
· fostering
the formalisation of informal micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises
(MSMEs) collecting, dismantling, and recycling electronics
· launching
a formal e-waste collection mechanism
· disseminating
best practices through capacity building and training
· raising
awareness on e-waste risks and related issues among all actors involved:
informal MSMEs, but also formal sector associations, manufacturers,
wholesalers, distributors, e-waste workers, public officials, local communities
etc.
· supporting
decision-makers with research and policy dialogues
Like sanitary landfills,
open-air landfills also produce leachate and methane when there is enough
burial.
A young entrepreneur in
Zambia has developed an e-waste recycling company, Yaaka Investment Limited,
the first in the country. According to The Cool Down’s Christine Dulion:
“Yaaka's flagship recycling plant can process up to
50,000 metric tons of e-waste each year. Workers sort plastics, glass, and
metals before feeding circuit boards into a locally engineered crusher and
shaking table. This system safely and cleanly separates copper and other
valuable materials. For every metric ton of waste processed, Yaaka recovers
about 300 kilograms of metal, which can be resold to local industries.”
The goal is to develop one
e-waste recycling facility in each of Zambia’s ten provinces.
A December 2023 paper in the
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health explored
e-waste in Ghana as an environmental justice issue, which it clearly is. The
exporters and importers can be seen as exploiting the poor in Ghana and
allowing the creation of significant environmental degradation. Below is the
paper’s abstract.
E-waste can be divided into
formal and informal e-waste. Below is a flow chart of formal vs. informal
e-waste that explains the differences.
More information tying
specific contaminants to specific e-waste components and the potential negative
health effects is shown below.
Below is a list of African
countries with e-waste rules and their variations.
The Daily Digest published a
pictorial article about e-waste, and I show pictures from it below. One can see
the piles of basically unmanaged e-waste in informal open-air landfills.
E-waste is a serious problem
around the world that needs to be addressed much better than it has, and there
should be consequences for those who proliferate it without mitigating the
damage from it.
References:
Authorities
sound alarm on serious problem caused by modern electronics: 'Very dangerous'. Kristen
Lawrence. The Cool Down. October 27, 2025. Authorities
sound alarm on serious problem caused by modern electronics: 'Very dangerous'
The
major environmental problem of open-air landfills around the world. Daily
Digest. April 2025. The major environmental problem of
open-air landfills around the world |
Environmental
Injustice and Electronic Waste in Ghana: Challenges and Recommendations. Anuli
Njoku, Martin Agbalenyo, Janaya Laude, Taiwo Folake Ajibola, Mavis Asiwome
Attah, Samuel Bruce Sarko. Editor: Daniele Fattorini. Int J Environ Res Public
Health. 2023 Dec 23;21(1):25. Environmental
Injustice and Electronic Waste in Ghana: Challenges and Recommendations - PMC
Electronic
waste: Digital dumpsites and children’s health. 2 October 2024 | Questions and
answers. World Health Organization. Electronic
waste: Digital dumpsites and children’s health
E-waste
management in Ghana: from grave to cradle. European Commission. E-waste
management in Ghana: from grave to cradle - International Partnerships
Young
entrepreneur develops game-changing solution to serious toxic waste problem:
'Most people don't understand just how dangerous', Christine Dulion, The Cool
Down. September 29, 2025. Young
entrepreneur develops game-changing solution to serious toxic waste problem:
'Most people don't understand just how dangerous'
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