Mar 6 - UN Launches E-Waste Group
The United Nations has announced the launch of its Solving the E-Waste Problem (StEP) initiative, an organization that will work with governments, industry and NGOs to help solve the growing global problem of improperly disposed electronic waste, reports the BBC. According to the UN, the world's annual volume of disposed e-waste is approximately 40 million metric tons and the volume of e-waste is rising three times faster than any other form of municipal waste.
"The UN initiative will build on the framework set up under the EU's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. The directive requires producers to bear the cost of the collection, recovery and disposal of devices no longer wanted by consumers."
The long-term goal of the of the initiative is to create a global standard for the recycling of e-waste.
CAW and E-Waste: