Revealed: UK toxic wastes traced to Alaba Market
By Akinsanmi Gboyega with agency report, 02.19.2009


Potentially dangerous toxic wastes from the United Kingdom (UK) have been traced to Alaba International Market and Apapa, all in Lagos state.


The wastes, according to Sky News investigation, comprise abandoned TV set, computer and electrical appliances, which are ordinarily meant to be recycled

The report said the wastes “are traced to Lagos port inside the container. We finally managed to track the television down to a shipping container.”

At Alaba Market, the report added that youngsters aged between 15 and 20 were seen scavenging for the valuable copper contained in the appliances.

It stated: “Because of the toxic nature of some of the components, the appliances should be recycled under strict conditions here in the United Kingdom.”

Commenting on the development, a UK-based non-governmental organisation, Greenpeace, confirmed that the young people working on such dumps often break apart the electronic items for parts, but in doing so are exposed to poisonous chemicals like mercury, lead and cadmium.

“We basically managed to track a TV going from the UK allegedly as second-hand equipment to Nigeria. When in fact we knew, because we gutted it, this TV, before it left the UK, we took all the insides out and put in a tracker device, which enabled us to track this old TV from the UK, through the recycler to Nigeria.

“Tonnes of toxic waste from municipal dumps in the West are being dumped illegally in countries like Nigeria and Ghana. Hundreds of thousands of broken items like TVs and computers are being sold to dealers on the pretext of re-use. Under EU law, such household appliances must be dismantled or recycled,” the charity group stated.

But Sky News reported that after being informed that e-waste collected by Hampshire County Council is being sent to West Africa, it teamed up with Greenpeace to investigate the claim.

According to Sky News : “Our team found an old television, noted its barcode and product number and, with the help of a qualified engineer, removed a vital working part, rendering it useless. We then inserted a satellite tracker into the television before taking it to the council's recycling centre.

“The idea was to follow every step of the TV's journey across the world via the internet before pinpointing the exact coordinates of its final destination. Filming undercover, we dropped our television off at a recycling site in Basingstoke which is managed for Hampshire County Council by a firm called Hopkins.

“They in turn sell appliances to a company called BJ Electronics. BJ bought our old television. We then followed the television to the BJ Electronics warehouse in Walthamstow, where BJ claim they test every appliance before selling them on to other companies for export.

“Our tracker showed our broken television was eventually loaded onto a shipping container at BJ's warehouse then taken to Tilbury where it was exported,” the report said.

Greenpeace Campaigner, Mr. Erik Albertson, told Sky News Online: "What you see around us could be the remains of one of your old computers or a TV set. The problem with things like this is every now and then, a couple of times a week, they set them on fire and the contents of the chemicals will cause dioxins to escape.

"Dioxins are well known as one of the toxic substances on earth. They're both carcinogenic and cause endocrine disruption." Back in the UK, we told Hampshire County Council, Hopkins and BJ Electronics of our findings.

Hopkins refused to comment. BJ said they had done nothing wrong and were adamant they comply with all the necessary tests. Hampshire Council issued the following statement: "We are extremely disappointed to learn of the potential findings of the investigation.

Hampshire Council issued the following statement: "We are extremely disappointed to learn of the potential findings of the investigation.

"Our primary aim has always been to ensure that waste electrical items are reused wherever possible, and that only functional TVs and monitors are sent abroad. We do not condone the exportation of televisions that cannot be reused.

"If, after our inquiry, it is found that our clear requirements are being compromised by inadequate controls, we will take immediate action and we will publish our findings,” the Council stated.

As Hampshire County Council carries out its own inquiry, Greenpeace has called on manufacturers of electronic goods to ensure they put in place take back schemes, so that the unwanted appliances are disposed of responsibly, instead of being dumped on poorer countries.
http://odili.net/news/source/2009/feb/19/212.html

Shite They have shifted this rubbish to from Ghana to Nigeria Hmmn, God save us

Shock horror, Not!

It's been happening for years. Is it just now we are noticing. Anyone remember the "Koko toxic waste" Saga back some years back? We clearly haven't learnt anything. Until we stand up and think we will continue to be butt of the world.

Chei, spare part and electronics boys don cause wahala!

ElRazur:

Shock horror, Not!

It's been happening for years. Is it just now we are noticing. Anyone remember the "Koko toxic waste" Saga back some years back? We clearly haven't learnt anything. Until we stand up and think we will continue to be butt of the world.

Chei, and it is these bloody hyprocrites that would be screaming blue murder that Zimbabweans are dying of cholera, as if the toxic waste being dumped in Nigeria is meant to complement our health and make us healthier

And this is the reason Somalians are now in these hyprocrite's bad books and now "pirates" because they refuse to allow them to continue dumping these waste on their water God save us

the real issue is the fact that importing oyibos scrap and selling it at a hefty profit is big business

scrapped cars are sold in nigeria as fairly used, clothes from dead hospital patients in the us /uk are sold until we stop this policy of importing scrap to sell as goods, this will continue

the real issue is the fact that importing oyibos scrap and selling it at a hefty profit is big business

scrapped cars are sold in nigeria as fairly used, clothes from dead hospital patients in the us /uk are sold until we stop this policy of importing scrap to sell as goods, this will continue

Nigeria is not the only country that imports second hand items. Many poor countries in Asia and eastern Europe do the same. Have you asked yourself how products and services will work if we rely only on new vehicles?. How many people can afford a new car in Nigeria today especially for commercial purposes. Until the problem of poverty is solved, you can never successfully enforce the laws otherwise you'll be exposing your citizens to illegal behaviors. A country that has 5th lowest GDP in the world cannot afford to do that. I am sure some Nigerians will buy a used food or condom.

oyb:

the real issue is the fact that importing oyibos scrap and selling it at a hefty profit is big business

scrapped cars are sold in nigeria as fairly used, clothes from dead hospital patients in the us /uk are sold until we stop this policy of importing scrap to sell as goods, this will continue

Read up again, this is not about importing secondhand goods in Africa, but about dumping wastes that costs them money to recycle in third world countries, despite the risks posed. I know they do this a lot in Ghana, but did not realise they have shifted base to Nigeria too

St.Funmi:

Nigeria is not the only country that imports second hand items. Many poor countries in Asia and eastern Europe do the same. Have you asked yourself how products and services will work if we rely only on new vehicles?. How many people can afford a new car in Nigeria today especially for commercial purposes. Until the problem of poverty is solved, you can never successfully enforce the laws otherwise you'll be exposing your citizens to illegal behaviors. A country that has 5th lowest GDP in the world cannot afford to do that. [size=14pt]I am sure some Nigerians will buy a used food or condom[/size].

Jeebus, why do I believe you As long as the used condom is oyinbo made, why not

Read up again, this is not about importing secondhand goods in Africa, but about dumping wastes that costs them money to recycle in third world countries, despite the risks posed. I know they do this a lot in Ghana, but did not realise they have shifted base to Nigeria too

Is it not the Nigerian customs that allow them to bring them into the country?. There was a time Nigerians were feeding on imported turkey that were declared unhealthy in Europe. Some speculated we had corned beef made from mad cow in UK during the mad cow epidemic in Britain. France once tested some radioactive materials in the Sahara desert causing the influenza epidemic in Africa and so on. Poverty is the root cause of these rubbish, I'd say. Very soon, Japan will dump SARS infested cell phones in our corridors.

At Alaba Market, the report added that youngsters aged between 15 and 20 were seen scavenging for the valuable copper contained in the appliances.

It stated: “Because of the toxic nature of some of the components, the appliances should be recycled under strict conditions here in the United Kingdom.”

Hmmm. . . .and this is why you don't "steal". . . .BTW is the toxicity lethal?

HeatFusion:

Hmmm. . . .and this is why you don't "steal". . . .BTW is the toxicity lethal?

they said something is toxic and you are asking whether it's lethal? may i offer you some Chlorine juice

seriously, the problem is most of these electronics don't meet modern environmental standards.

bawomolo:

they said something is toxic and you are asking whether it's lethal? may i offer you some Chlorine juice

A substance can be toxic without being lethal. A toxic dose below LD50 can make you seriously sick without killing you (which is what lethality is all about).

relevant excerpts -

By Akinsanmi Gboyega with agency report, 02.19.2009


The wastes, according to Sky News investigation, comprise abandoned TV set, computer and electrical appliances, which are ordinarily meant to be recycled

According to Sky News : “Our team found an old television, noted its barcode and product number and, with the help of a qualified engineer, removed a vital working part, rendering it useless. We then inserted a satellite tracker into the television before taking it to the council's recycling centre.

“The idea was to follow every step of the TV's journey across the world via the internet before pinpointing the exact coordinates of its final destination. Filming undercover, we dropped our television off at a recycling site in Basingstoke which is managed for Hampshire County Council by a firm called Hopkins.

“They in turn sell appliances to a company called BJ Electronics. BJ bought our old television. We then followed the television to the BJ Electronics warehouse in Walthamstow, where BJ claim they test every appliance before selling them on to other companies for export.

“Our tracker showed our broken television was eventually loaded onto a shipping container at BJ's warehouse then taken to Tilbury where it was exported,” the report said.

Greenpeace Campaigner, Mr. Erik Albertson, told Sky News Online: "What you see around us could be t[b]he remains of one of your old computers or a TV set.[/b] The problem with things like this is every now and then, a couple of times a week, they set them on fire and the contents of the chemicals will cause dioxins to escape.

this is what i said -

the real issue is the fact that importing oyibos scrap and selling it at a hefty profit is big business

so is that not what is happening? i am not talking about lightly used/fairly used here - i am talking about things they have thrown away.

A substance can be toxic without being lethal. A toxic dose below LD50 can make you seriously sick without killing you (which is what lethality is all about).

Toxic is quarter to lethal and it's not a good thing. It also depends on what they mean by toxic because imported chemicals are also naturally toxic.  If they are electronics, wouldn't that be Tv's, computers and cell phones?. Are they radioactive or what?

davidylan:

A substance can be toxic without being lethal. A toxic dose below LD50 can make you seriously sick without killing you (which is what lethality is all about).

you are right but why import a fridge that affects the Ozone layer? does it matter if it's lethal to humans?

so is that not what is happening? i am not talking about lightly used/fairly used here - i am talking about things they have thrown away.

Thrown away where?. They recycle stuff here so, Nigerians should stop believing oyibos throw stuff away. If those things are actuallt toxic, they will not keep them where Nigerian businessmen will have access to them because they may end up poisoning their citizens during the process of collecting, loading them and taking them to the seaport.

I remember when they used to tell us that cars lie around on the streets of Europe with the keys in their ignition. Big lie.

you are right but why import a fridge that affects the Ozone layer? does it matter if it's lethal to humans?

Ozone layer in Africa?. Start by banning all those beetles that run from Ojota to ojodu for a small fee.

St.Funmi:

Is it not the Nigerian customs that allow them to bring them into the country?. There was a time Nigerians were feeding on imported turkey that were declared unhealthy in Europe. Some speculated we had corned beef made from mad cow in UK during the mad cow epidemic in Britain. France once tested some radioactive materials in the Sahara desert causing the influenza epidemic in Africa and so on. Poverty is the root cause of these rubbish, I'd say. Very soon, Japan will dump SARS infested cell phones in our corridors.

poverty has nothing to do with it. it is all about greed. where will paupers get the money to import oyinbo scrap in the first place?

a few years ago, MTN scrapped some defective cards. what happened - someone redirected them to the market. this was the time when cards were still  was it 5000, or 500 - i forget.  but you get the idea. they were selling them all over CMS at that time.

St.Funmi:

Ozone layer in Africa?. Start by banning all those beetles that run from Ojota to ojodu for a small fee.

abi o, At the rate people are using generator, the ozone layer is naija don vamoose  

hotfunmi -  maybe you need to reread the article

poverty has nothing to do with it. it is all about greed. where will paupers get the money to import oyinbo scrap in the first place?

a few years ago, MTN scrapped some defective cards. what happened - someone redirected them to the market. this was the time when cards were still was it 5000, or 500 - i forget. but you get the idea. they were selling them all over CMS at that time.

OYb, look at Nigeria in it's entirety, what percentage do you think that can finance any form of importation even if they are scrap?. If citizens are not poor, they wouldn't have any need to buy substandard products.

hotfunmi, as an engineer - i can tell you authoritatively that a large number of importers bring in fake/substandard products and sell them at normal prices. and it is getting harder and harer to id the fakes

just yeasterday, we were arguing on site witha contractor who was supplying us an inverter . the model did not coreespond with the manual provided.it was not in its original box. the serial and model numbers were nowhere to be found on the body of the inverter. when i looked up info on it online, it appears it is a model from 2005/2006. when we powered it up we had issues.
the installer was blowing all sorts of grammer. i simply made a recommenadation not to accept it. earlier the same installer had been going on and on about how his boss is a 'big boy' well thats how most of these 'big boys' make their money, by selling fake/scrapped prodcuts as originals.

and those pricks make my life very, very hard

oyb:

relevant excerpts -

this is what i said -

so is that not what is happening? i am not talking about lightly used/fairly used here - i am talking about things they have thrown away.

You are still not on the right page yet This is not about businessmen travelling out and importing goods into Africa in order to resell, this is rather the British government awarding contracts to recycling firms to dispose of toxic goods and e-waste and hazardous waste in an environmentally friendly manner on their landfills, but because they are dodgy, they illegally ship it to Africa and dump it there.

“Tonnes of toxic waste from municipal dumps in the West are being dumped illegally in countries like Nigeria and Ghana. Hundreds of thousands of broken items like TVs and computers are being sold to dealers on the pretext of re-use. Under EU law, such household appliances must be dismantled or recycled,” the charity group stated.

i refuse to belive that the dealers are completely ignorant of the nature of what they are buying

hotfunmi, as an engineer - i can tell you authoritatively that a large number of importers bring in fake/substandard products and sell them at normal prices. and it is getting harder and harer to id the fakes

just yeasterday, we were arguing on site witha contractor who was supplying us an inverter . the model did not coreespond with the manual provided.it was not in its original box.  the serial and model numbers were nowhere to be found on the body of the inverter. when i looked up information on it online, it appears it is a model from 2005/2006. when we powered it up we had issues.
the installer was blowing all sorts of grammer. i simply made a recommenadation not to accept it. earlier the same installer had been going on and on about how his boss is a 'big boy' well thats how most of these 'big boys' make their money, by selling fake/scrapped prodcuts as originals.

and those pricks make my life very, very hard

They have same problem in China too but your personal agro shouldn't be mixed up with a national issue here. 70% of Nigerian citizens cannot boast of an income equivalent to that of a successful engineer so, an engineers problem with the market is irrelevant to us.

i advocate we find a solution to the poverty and people will choose for themselves from reputable companies but you advocate we stop the importers.

Let me tell you the problem with your policy, if you ban drug barons from importing cocaine into a country, will it reduce the number of crack heads in that country? No, because they'll look for another drug of choice available and if they can't find any, they may resort to sniffing their toilets of gutters. It's rather better for you to find a cure for the drug addicts while controlling their access to these products.

In America, they also have bootlegs on the streets but if you can afford to buy a Gucci bag from a Gucci store, why waste your time with a vendor that may sell you a fake one?

St.Funmi:

Thrown away where?. They recycle stuff here so, Nigerians should stop believing oyibos throw stuff away. If those things are actuallt toxic, they will not keep them where Nigerian businessmen will have access to them because they may end up poisoning their citizens during the process of collecting, loading them and taking them to the seaport.

I remember when they used to tell us that cars lie around on the streets of Europe with the keys in their ignition. Big lie.

The toxicity is not in touching the TV, it's in melting down the parts, releasing toxic dioxins and other carcinogenic agents while trying to recover copper and other materials.

The material IS toxic and HIGHLY regulated in the UK. If caught doing this, the company can be severely fined.

This is nothing but greed. The recycling company claims to have recycled the product, got paid for recycling but ships the product off to Nigeria.

oyb:

i refuse to belive that the dealers are completely ignorant of the nature of what they are buying

I don't think anyone is 'buying' this stuff. Anyone remember Koko toxic waste saga? I'm sure the recycling companies are PAYING to get these things shipped. The cost to freight it to Nigeria is lower than what it would cost to dispose properly, so they pay someone to ship to Nigeria and take the mess of their hands. i don't think the dealers actually buy this waste from the recycling companies.

St.Funmi:

They have same problem in China too but your personal agro shouldn't be mixed up with a national issue here. 70% of Nigerian citizens cannot boast of an income equivalent to that of a successful engineer so, an engineers problem with the market is irrelevant to us.

i advocate we find a solution to the poverty and people will choose for themselves from reputable companies but you advocate we stop the importers.

Let me tell you the problem with your policy, if you ban drug barons from importing cocaine into a country, will it reduce the number of crack heads in that country? No, because they'll look for another drug of choice available and if they can't find any, they may resort to sniffing their toilets of gutters. It's rather better for you to find a cure for the drug addicts while controlling their access to these products.

In America, they also have bootlegs on the streets but if you can afford to buy a Gucci bag from a Gucci store, why waste your time with a vendor that may sell you a fake one?

you are delibeartely missing the point. this same problem repaeats itself everyday in the lives of everybody.

example
a brand new original gsm mokia xxxx phone sells for n7000

someone gets a shipment of used nokia xxxx phones, buys covers and sells them as brand new

whether you are rich or poor, you are being cheated - worse, you will prolly not get value for your money - the phone may only last 3 mths

St.Funmi:

Toxic is quarter to lethal and it's not a good thing. It also depends on what they mean by toxic because imported chemicals are also naturally toxic. If they are electronics, wouldn't that be Tv's, computers and cell phones?. Are they radioactive or what?

None of the wastes mentioned so far are radioactive so i dont see any problem. At best those electronics are environmental nuisances.

bawomolo:

you are right but why import a fridge that affects the Ozone layer? does it matter if it's lethal to humans?

At the rate we use CFCs in naija we shld have no ozone layer left by now. The ozone layer replenishes itself so there's no danger of it getting too depleted in the next 1000 yrs. Besides our skin ensures that unlike whites, we are naturally resistant to skin cancers.

Dont worry, be happy.

you are delibeartely missing the point. this same problem repaeats itself everyday in the lives of everybody.

example
a brand new original gsm mokia xxxx phone sells for n7000

someone gets a shipment of used nokia xxxx phones, buys covers and sells them as brand new

whether you are rich or poor, you are being cheated - worse, you will prolly not get value for your money - the phone may only last 3 mths

They can do that as refurbished or fake. The price may give you an inclination of how original they are. Some people call me here and request for a laptop computer but when you tell them the price, they usually shrug and tell you it's too expensive because they can get it half the price at the computer village.

Oyb, sometimes the price of a particular item may be a giveaway to the authenticity of that item especially nowadays we can easily verify them online. Like i said before, they have bootlegs here in the states and they look very much like originals but their prices are always a give away to it's authenticity.

Secondly, Nigerians love expensive stuff for the purpose of ostentation. That's why they wish for phones that are well over $1K for a price in the range of $300. Cut your coat according to your cloth.

The material IS toxic and HIGHLY regulated in the UK. If caught doing this, the company can be severely fined.

This is nothing but greed. The recycling company claims to have recycled the product, got paid for recycling but ships the product off to Nigeria.

Who allows them into the country?. Don't they clear them at the ports?

debosky:

The toxicity is not in touching the TV, it's in melting down the parts, releasing toxic dioxins and other carcinogenic agents while trying to recover copper and other materials.

The material IS toxic and HIGHLY regulated in the UK. If caught doing this, the company can be severely fined.

This is nothing but greed. The recycling company claims to have recycled the product, got paid for recycling but ships the product off to Nigeria.
I don't think anyone is 'buying' this stuff. Anyone remember Koko toxic waste saga? I'm sure the recycling companies are PAYING to get these things shipped. The cost to freight it to Nigeria is lower than what it would cost to dispose properly, so they pay someone to ship to Nigeria and take the mess of their hands. i don't think the dealers actually buy this waste from the recycling companies.

Thank you boo, and help me ram it down Dafidi's throat too, I have given up on that Oyb, he is a lost cause