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Groups task corporate bodies on environmental friendliness

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A coalition of environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have expressed their concern on how corporate bodies have continued to increase the mountainous load of used and end-of-life mobile phones all in name of an aggressive promotion. This concern was addressed at a strategic tripartite meeting of NGOs working on e-waste organised by the Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev) Nigeria who came together to brainstorm on best environmental practices with regards to environmentally sound management of e-waste.

The meeting also aimed at addressing the dismally lacking national regulation on e-waste and to apply pressure on the government over their failure to address contamination in electronic products and the delay in passing into law the National Electrical and Electronic Sector Regulation.

“In Nigeria, we advocate for the Individual or Corporate Producer Responsibility which is becoming the practice world over,” said Leslie Adogame, Executive Director, SRADev Nigeria.

“This means that producers must become responsible for the collection and the recycling of their branded products.

“If producers have to pay for the recycling of their own products, the incentive to produce products that are less toxics, have a longer life-span, and are easier to recycle will increase, because this will reduce their recycling costs.”

There are overwhelming evidence that e-waste contributes to adverse health effects such as cancer, neurological, respiratory disorders and birth defects; according to the groups, and also on the environment unless they are managed soundly. The concerned NGOs are SRADev Nigeria, Friends of the Environment, Waste Management Association of Nigeria, and the Environmental Rights Action.