Emissions, effluent and waste in electrical recycling
The greatest risk from emissions, effluent and waste arises from electrical recycling in countries without a suitable recycling infrastructure.
There, improperly processed electrical components release toxic substances, and chemicals from separation or recovery processes seep into the groundwater. For example, the level of pollutants in the soil at Agbogbloshie, a rubbish tip in the heart of Ghana’s capital, Accra, exceeds the limit permitted in Europe by a factor of 50.