What impact does electronic waste have on the African continent? For years, African countries have been importing used computers, smartphones, and household appliances from Europe, the U.S., and Japan. But these devices have a short lifespan. They quickly become waste, piling up across Africa. One of the largest legal e-waste dumps in the world is located in Ghana. However, many more illegal dumping grounds exist—in northern Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Kenya. How did old electronics come to pollute countries that didn’t even produce them? How can African people protect themselves from this dangerous waste? Could the rise of artificial intelligence make the problem even worse?
E-waste, deadly landfills
