Every year, Americans and Europe upgrade their TVs, cell phones, computers and other electronic devices at a breathtaking pace. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the U.S. produces 300 million tons of electronic waste annually. About 80 percent of that ends up in domestic landfills or is ?recycled? overseas in hazardous conditions. Disposing of e-waste legally and responsibly has been a political and a practical headache for years. And a growing appetite for consumerism around the world is only fueling the problem.

A group of development specialists and representatives from the United Nations, governments, private sector and civil society have agreed to come up with new ways to curb the rising levels of electronic waste (e-waste) in Africa.

It is a known fact that obsolete computers, refrigerators, televisions, mobile phones and other devices often originating from Europe were routinely being thrown away on unsupervised dumpsites across Africa, posing serious threats to human and environmental health.

It is common in Ghana to see young children, men and women on the street of agbogbloshie  scavenging for  wiring from obsolete computers, refrigerators, televisions, mobile phones and other devices often originating from Europe and the United states  that they can sell. On a very good day, they can extract about $2 of copper from the broken computers, telephone answering machines and televisions that have been discarded. Recyclers that buy it from government agencies ship it overseas in cargo containers mixed in with second-hand electronics. The buyer in the foreign country keeps what is salable and carts of what isn't to e-waste sites such as Agbogbloshie.

Electronic waste  has become an issue of serious concern to environmentalists in Africa as a growing number of electronic items are discarded in landfills in Africa every year. Many consumers in Africa are not aware that electronics like computers and cell phones actually contain toxins that can leach out into the soil and damage the environment. The problem is further compounded by the fact that many of the elements used in the construction of consumer electronics are quite valuable, leading companies to attempt to recover them from abandoned electronics, and discard unwanted parts in a manner which is unsafe.

Several nations in Africa are yet to have laws about e-waste to try and keep it out of landfills, or in landfills which are equipped to handle toxic materials. The heavy metals in e-waste such as lead, cadmium, and mercury pose serious environmental and health risks. While many consumers are trained to think of things like cathode ray tubes as dangerous articles that require special disposal, most do not connect cell phones, for example, with beryllium, a toxic heavy metal which can cause severe damage to the lungs. In addition to the toxins it contains, e-waste also takes a very long time to biodegrade, which means that it will be taking up landfill space for centuries.

Looking at the dangers posed by e – waste, it becomes urgent on us to deal with it in order to ensure a better greener environment for generations to come. We can deal with the e- waste menace in Africa by putting in place the following measures:

Examine the Packaging—Help family members get into the habit of looking at packaging before they open a purchased item to see if there are any messages stating that the item needs to be recycled as hazardous waste when it?s used up. More and more items for sale now need to be disposed as hazardous waste rather than through a landfill.

Create a Space for E-Waste—Have a place in your home (or garage) where family members can place their non-working electronic items (and batteries) to be disposed of as hazardous waste. Otherwise, it?s too tempting to toss these items into the trash.

Find Your Local Hazardous Waste Facility—Most communities and countries have a hazardous waste facility that allows you to drop off dangerous materials. Find out what they accept and how to drop off these items safely. Some families visit these facilities once or twice a year, depending on the amount of hazardous waste they generate.

Talk with Others about E-Waste—Too many people assume that it?s okay to toss batteries and other electronic waste into the garbage. Encourage your friends and family to dispose of these items properly. Get the word out.