GP

• Global Perspectives
• Middelbare school
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• Leerjaar 5

E-waste and urban mining

Created by Hilde Kokx, Caitlin Bonte and Rahman Fakhry

E-WASTE

What country has the largest e-waste dump site in the world?

Agbogbloshie

- Local issue, global impact

Agbogbloshie

- Local issue, global impact
- Slum of Accra, Ghana; 40,000 inhabitants
- Dismantling for scrap (metals) --> burning off plastic casing --> release dangerous substances

- Sensitive information not completely erased --> organised crime
- Shady second-hand devices trade business between Ghana and developed countries ($250,000,000)

John Mahama, 21, suffers from insomnia and has debilitating headaches, but continues to work

What metal, which poisons the soil, is released when burning the e-waste?

1. Arsenic
2. Beryllium
3. Lithium
4. Copper

What action could be
taken against e-waste?

Solution...?

From e-waste
to raw materials

URBAN MINING

Urban Mining

- Recycling
- Metal extraction
- Satisfies the great demand for metal resources
- Rare metals
- Worldwide environmental problems
- Beats classical mining
- Umicore

Which of the following was not mentioned about urban mining?

1. Solution to worldwide environmental problems
2. Classical mining is believed to still be better
3. Some rare metals can't be gained any other way
4. Solution to the world's running low on resources

Issue question

How can we use urban mining to decrease the global environmental problems caused by burning e-waste in Agbogbloshie by 15% in the coming decade?

Thank you for your attention!

Source list

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3xNiWAmOB8
-  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agbogbloshie
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mleQVO1Vd1I
- https://downtoearthmagazine.nl/milieu-urban-mining-de-stad-als-goudmijn/
- https://www.recupel.be/nl/waarom-recycleren/7-redenen-waarom-urban-mining-de-klassieke-mijnbouw-voorbijsteekt/#
- https://www.telegraaf.nl/financieel/830150/urban-mining-trend-van-de-toekomst

Adam Nasara, 25, uses Styropor, an insulating material from refrigerators to light a fire