Eric Albertsen with Television

Greenpeace activist Eric Albertsen locates a TV in the Alaba International Market, one of the largest markets for electronic goods in West Africa. Greenpeace gave the television to engineers who dismantled it and discreetly installed a tracking device within the casing. The device gives regular updates of position, and was used to track the TV from the UK to Lagos, Africa. It will now return as evidence of exporters breaching the law.

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Unique identifier: GP01QMT

Type: Image

Shoot date: 16/11/2008

Locations: Africa, Lagos, Nigeria, Western Africa

Credit line: © Greenpeace / Kristian Buus

Ranking: ★★★★ (E)

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E-Waste Trail from UK to Africa

Greenpeace investigates illegal exports of electronic equipment from the United Kingdom to Africa, by tracking a TV-set originally delivered to a municipality-run collection point for discarded electronic products. The television was tracked and monitored by Greenpeace using a combination of GPS, GSM, and an onboard radiofrequency transmitter placed inside the TV-set. Using this sophisticated tracking equipment, Greenpeace was able to prove that rather than being recycled, it was being sent to Africa. Despite regulations which specify that electronic goods must be certified as working before it is exported, the television arrived in Lagos, Nigeria in container no 4629416, without any prior testing. Hampshire County Council and other municipalities have a duty to recycle all electronic equipment properly. Instead the electronic waste is clearly being exported to Africa, using a cheap and dirty disposal route.

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