ILLEGAL INTERNATIONAL TRADE OF E-WASTE - EUROPE

The poor management of growing amounts of e-wastes has given rise to a series of consequences. One of the major consequences relates to illegal international trading of the wastes. This trade is a means for brokers, smugglers and organized crime groups to meet the demands of the waste producer for cheap disposal of used electronic products. The process is therefore frequently implemented through illegal means, with workers undertaking gross extraction processes in importing countries. The consequences of this include environmental harm, poor working conditions, yields for organized crime groups and loss of economic opportunities for exporting countries. This paper is focused mainly on e-wastes produced in Europe. To analyse and discuss a feasible solution to combat the illegal market, the article presents the three main reasons, i.e. European integration, corruption and ineffective customs inspections, underlying delivery of these wastes by criminals to the European continent, concluding that the best means of combating this trade is to apply a take-back system.