IDG Connect takes an indepth look at responsible ICT reuse and recycling in Africa
“We wanted to show people that ‘reused’ should not be pasted with a negative connotation and be automatically viewed as eWaste.” Olivier Vanden Ende, Founder Close the Gap & WorldLoop
March 2015: WorldLoop and it’s ICT4D partners Close the Gap and ComputerAid International, were recently featured in an IDG Connect article, looking at the complex story of sustainable reuse and recycling of ICT material versus the uncontrolled illegal dumping that can lead to environmental devastation.
An excerpt from the article:
While there’s been issues with eWaste dumping, the legislation of the Basel Convention and recycling centres founded by organisations such as Computer Aid and Close the Gap have put some solid measures in place to lessen the problem. As Nairobi’s WEEE Centre is the first of what could be many to come, the future is looking a whole lot more optimistic.
Yes, the eWaste dumping issue in Africa is heart breaking. And yes, the kind of “if it bleeds, it leads” journalism popular in the mainstream press for the purpose of selling publications will still likely surface from time to time and make it look like nothing is being done. Enforcing Basel Convention legislation may well prove an ongoing battle, too.
But if there’s a lesson to be taken away here, it’s that by recycling our old hardware with responsible, licensed organisations such as these, there’s no doubt that shipping your used ICT hardware to Africa could make a huge difference to many, many lives.
Read the full article here.