Browsing: EPR

• According to UN estimates some 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste was generated around the world in 2019.
• The World Economic Forum (WEF) estimate that the annual generation of e-waste will reach 74.7 Mt by 2030.
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy or principle that is designed to promote total life cycle of products.

Mobile phone manufacturers release new devices almost every other quarter. Ever wondered what happens to the old ones?

Actually, what happens to old (or not so old) electronics that are simply out-paced by newer technology? Well, just like used cars and clothing, they are exported to Africa and other developing nations.

The so called export of used consumer goods to Africa is nothing more than dumping of electronic waste from rich, developed countries to unsuspecting developing nations that in most cases are forced by loan and grant conditions to buy the environmentally harzadous goods.

Known as …

Manufacturers turn PRO as US bulldozes Kenya over plastics

In August this year, Kenyans and conservationists everywhere were up in arms after it emerged that the US was arm-twisting Kenya to rescind its tough stance on plastics.

The decision was by the American Chemistry Council which has lobbied the US government during the Covid-19 pandemic to use a US-Kenya trade deal to expand the plastics industry’s footprint across Africa.

According to Greenpeace, documents obtained by Unearthed, it’s investigative journalism platform, show that the same lobby group, which counts Shell, Exxon, and Total among its members, also lobbied against changes to the international Basel Convention, which put new limits on plastic waste entering low and middle-income countries.

Read: KAM, CGK partner to manage post-consumer plastic waste in Kenya

Already, 34 out of 54 countries have adopted some form of regulation to phase out single-use plastic.

Plastic waste management in Kenya

Greenpeace …