A new report from the Basel Action Network reveals that a growing number of containers filled with e-waste ends up in Hong Kong. The Network used tracking devices to locate the illegal dumping sites, which were then visited by reporters from the South China Morning Post.
The reporters found dump sites for old computer parts, LCD monitors and other electronic waste containing toxic materials clustered in Yuen Long. Some of these sites were located close to farming sites. At several of the sites they observed workers who were taking apart the different electronic devices without any protection.
Activist groups and legislators suspect that more e-waste remains in Hong Kong due to stricter controls at the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border. While both mainland China and Hong Kong have signed the Basel Convention, that regulates the flow of hazardous substances across international borders, there are loopholes in Hong Kong’s legislation that make it an attractive destination for dumping. Notably, the United States have not ratified the Convention.
Read the full article about industrial-scale dumping here.
