Stop dumping of used gadgets, gov’t urged
DAVAO CITY—Amid the deluge of imported used electronic goods and junk in the local market, environment groups are renewing calls for the ratification of the Basel Ban Amendment, a treaty which prohibits toxic waste exports to developing countries.
Lawyer Richard Gutierrez, lead coordinator of the Ban Toxic Waste Campaign, said the government needed to regulate the entry of secondhand products to determine which among these are still usable and safe to human health and which really are wastes that need to be thrown away.
The Basel Ban Amendment prohibits the export of toxic wastes from developed to developing countries, whether as recyclable materials or wastes for dumping, he said.
He said if the international treaty is ratified, the Philippines would have a mechanism through which to monitor the entry of toxic wastes.
He said despite the push made by some senators in 2008, the treaty has not been ratified because of lack of support from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
“Electronic waste is an urgent topic of concern, especially for countries such as the Philippines, where discarded electronics from countries such as Japan and South Korea are exported as secondhand goods,” Gutierrez said. “E-wastes contain toxic substances which may be released through improper use and recycling.”
“It’s our responsibility to make sure we don’t add to the growing mountain of e-waste in the country by buying gadgets which may harm both human health and the environment,” he added.
The group advised parents to buy only electronic goods certified to be environment-friendly and safe to human health.
It also urged parents to examine carefully the products that they buy for their children. Goods with the RoHS logo, which means they complied with standards set by the European Union, are safe to buy.
“We’re only saying they have to be smart in choosing what is safe,” he said.
“Government needs to upgrade its criteria and establish the minimum requirements to allow these goods entry to the local market,” Gutierrez said. Germelina Lacorte, Inquirer Mindanao
