the idea is on its way to bring you more conservation. how do we make see the screener? how can we protect have a chance we can make a difference? globally genius, fundamental series, again global, some 1000 on g.w. and all mine. did you know that in 29 war than 50000000 tons of electronics did the won't, but sadly, hardly any of it was recycled. well, welcome to this special edition of a coffee. focusing on electronic waste. i am sundra to nokia here in uganda's capital. come and i am now coming to you from nigeria,

frederick capital territory. yes, electronic waste is definitely an issue that needs solving in search of answers. we traveled across africa and europe. here's a look at what's coming up on the show today. south africa looks for ways to enable countries to mine precious metals for military waste. in germany, we followed a debate on electronic waste devices and what they're calling the right to repair and in their own design, our matilde, our pain, shows us how one person's trash really is another person's treasure. what happens to be environment when we fail to use our resources sustainably at the major theme here on eco africa where we try to present not just the problems, but some possible solutions to. today, we'll turn the spotlight on electrical and electronic waste, meaning this crowded refrigerator, cell phones,

televisions computers and things like that. but 1st, here are some facts about the impact on the planet. from a consistent to kitchen, go to t.v.'s and smartphones every year we throw away more and more electrical appliances. according to a u.n. report, the world produced over 53000000 tons of electronic waste in 2019 equivalent in weight to 350 cruise liners. europe was the area with the highest volume at waste per capita, income growth, urbanization and increased mobility, leading to a constant increase in demand for electronic products. many of them have a very short life span. as a result, a waste is growing faster than any other kind of refuse. last year, just 17.4 percent of each waste was recycled. a sizeable proportion of phased out

electronic products are exporting it illegally and end up on unregulated landfills, dumps and scrap yards in eastern europe, asia, and africa. the un assumes that the vast majority of non-recyclable waste is not disposed of appropriately. electronic waste contain significant amounts of has a disturbance, is that contaminate the land and water and can cause serious health problems. up to 50 tons of the highly toxic heavy metal mercury released into the environment every year. they're joined by chemicals that she used to cannibalize old equipment. a major increase in the number of discarded and conditioning systems and refrigerators. there are just those who cause the release of around 98000000 tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. devices also contain valuable metals

such as i and as well as gold in total, the value of natural resources in the waste last year amounted to $57000000000.00 us dollars only a small fraction of annual is recycled. this means that the quantity of extract to keep up with ever increasing consumer demand continues to grow. our guards show that a problem that we need to perhaps mining could help. it's an expression diary, 1st of the process of recovering viable metals, mechanical and chemical treatment that doesn't just apply for i am. these days you find some very rare metals in your electronic devices. that is right. and in cities, you often find huge quantities of electronic waste recycling these materials,

since time and money, and it is much better for the environment at the university of cape town. one professor wants to introduce that idea, not just in south africa, but across the entire continent with its resembles a meat grinder. but this machine grind subcircuits broods instead of pork in the sun to the spot of an innovative research project in south africa. finding out how to recycle the precious bits of circuits broods can do when judging peterson from the university of cape town, figured out a way we were trying to crush the circuit board so that we can access the in the lives of the copper that said when in between is layers within the board axis in the metals like copper, all move valuable. gold is difficult and costly. most of south africa's eat waste

is purses to overseas by companies that operate huge furnaces. it was a realisation that we have in south africa. a lot of people who just collect if you think it was and to take them to recycle, just crush them up and since them overseas. and we said walk on, we process the material here, create jobs with that. the challenge for the scientists finding a method where it's at a smaller scale and price point. that also does not to contaminate the environment . they developed a chemical extraction process for copper, a fiend, ammonia solution trickles through the ground of circuit boards. over the course of several days, the solution extracts the copper indicated by the blue coloring. the american mixture can be used several times which makes it even more environmentally friendly

. the concept of recovering brad metals from electronic waste is called urban mining. like many african countries, south africa only recycles a minority of its waste. so far more than 50 percent of it ends up in landfills or as in the case of waste is shipped over seas. monitoring waste streams experts say as one key incentive to up recycling. you wouldn't recycle the goodness of your heart ideally make us at least a small profit on it. and so the idea is to say what is valued as mature. also, if you can extract a value, then it is a worthwhile undertaking. small and medium skill businesses, such as circuit board manufacturer tracks where the research project is set up, could make a profit while reducing waste. there is a social responsibility for you to try to look at the waste you produce and circuit

board manufacturer saying, look, you know, you circuit boards that end up in products that become obsolete. how does one recycle them? you can reuse them. but if you can reclaim the copper from them, then there's some commercial very, in the moment you can give something, commercial value preventive ending up in a landfill. the idea of the waste recycling project was developed here to hide your mythology lad of the university. currently, the team is still in the research phase through day terkel lection. they want to refine and demonstrate the effectiveness of the chemical extraction, not only for copper, but also a little retrieve in gold, of parts from lower energy in such a costs. the method has another advantage, but what excites me about this project is the fact that we are trying to develop technology for our local in uses for the african case where we're dealing with very

low volumes of electronic waste relative to what other countries handle but still being able to find green technologies that can help us recover from it without doing much harm to our environment. in cape town's industrial area, judge and peterson visits a local recycling company that is still exporting eve waste. peterson is looking for new good material. up until now, the research is of used identical model boards to make results comparable. but in future, the method has to work for any type of circuits. the project could reach pilot phase by 2022. the approach is not limited to south africa. the scientists are convinced it is transferable to every other country on the continent to europe. now, if you're struggling to repair on household appliances, but you've broken,

do not wiring you are not alone. they are sometimes surprisingly difficult to fix. one problem is that a lot of modern machines and other devices can't be repaired, not even by professionals. in many cases, products are designed to wear out after a certain period of time. this is expensive for the consumer and a waste of valuable resources and energy. so the right to repair movement is growing in many countries. we joined a global gathering of repair as tinkerers and activists in germany. take a look. electronic goods are the fastest growing away stream in the world. in less than a decade, the lifespan of a television in germany dropped from more than 10 years to less than 6. of the best ways is the words that you don't produce when you look into the container, you see is a really old laundry. machines are some really old dishwashers, which either could not be repaired which consume so much energy,

better than makes sense to have a new i'm put some can't be repaired. this discarded products account for less than 10 percent of all municipal waste in the european union. but extracting the rare earth metals used in many devices typically requires sulphuric acid and creates more toxic waste. activists like your highness to do a calling for a radical change. the social costs and environmental costs are completely externalize. they're not integrated into the price. that's why $1.00 of the woods of every 2. another important aspect of the debate is the planned obsolescence of our products. the american branded london came up with this term in 1932. he thought it would be a good way to boost the economy because it would force customers to buying more larger when it's incredibly flawed. because what we're seeing is a type of innovation that actually does not put meat on the planet,

nor people at the center. who call the laurie is a co-founder of the restart project, a u.k. based organization that supports repair initiatives. the european commission has recently ratified a new set of regulations that will make repairing easier from 2021. it will force manufacturers to make spare parts available to repair shops, but crucially not to customers. now that doesn't make any sense, and that's why people want a real writer. it's not something that is designed to limit what people care the pressure is mounting for, right to repair based on 3 key pillars. first, access to spare parts for all of the products for everyone. second, access to repair manuals, and 3rd design of products, so that very easy to take apart. while our devices are increasingly complex,

the solution to the problem doesn't have to be a comprehensive right to repair, has the potential to benefit both the customers and the environment. staying with the theme of repairing and reusing, we head back to africa. now ronda is one of the leading nations here on the continent for digital technology, but the increased use of a look for new devices has also led to a masi increase in waste. now with the help over was bank, the one of government house opened a state of the, the west dismantling recycling facility. in addition to benefiting the environment . it also created jobs. and given that, you know, kitchen system to each of the 450 pupils in this school in biggest sarah really does have a lot to fulfill us. not all of those a new, many are recycled. all the models, which breakdown, get prepared with

a city. good business is at least because to help us to expand on the edge. the whole country is committed to recycling dommage and discarded electronic devices in hospitals, schools, government offices, and companies picked up by employees in virus of an international recycling company . their hardware is taken to in virus salves plant in fukushima 60 kilometers from the country, told here it's recycled and restored. it's one of the biggest plants of this kind in on of africa. you want to have the horses to proper system for an attorney, west management established in london that's that's all i'm in. i'm in target and we want rather to be a model for 4 other countries. not so many countries have this kind of facility

in viruses. business model is just so very far based equipment. more than 50 people who walk here showing him it ever since. he started walking with one virus of collecting. i've been able to support my from line up and they've got no insurance and had no problem paying for my children's education of your with rhonda is seen as the i.t. innovation hobby in east africa. that's why this sector is attractive to the younger generation. it attracts, people like that it, we're all eric he left school early, but begun collecting electronic was 2 and he was 17. now he has his own company employing 35 people to get you to go to buy these electronics from different places and from people who don't need it yet. but for us, these electronics are valuable. after collection, we saw that electronic equipment to separate the ones which can be reused and resold after being repaired. if you take one mark,

the government wants to make sure the countryside doesn't get clogged up with west . so it has imposed strict regulation. as a one day set of technology, we want to seduce developing in a sustainable way. we'd be creamed. i hear environmental friendly technology because we want to see our countries developing but with minimal impact in terms of environmental consequences. back at school, the laptops are given to pupils for free. since you have the started using computers, so many things has changed. this shouldn't have started to knowing that they did this source of information is and is not only they did a pretty they can no longer imagine life without them. and they know these laptops won't go to waste, but will be recycled. so most to dance can benefit to electric,

they cause a growing popularity in europe. they are hauled over to switch to renewables, and he won't show. we've also looked many examples cities. that's right, sandra. the problem is some people say electoral mobility is good for the environment, while both points to the toxic substances contained in the car, batteries until now, only about a 3rd of those chemicals could be, were separated and reclaim it. but now a company in germany has this come about a way to push up the recycling efficiency considerably. germany is car country. statistically every 2nd president owns an automobile. christiane harnish does to, the engineer also knows that when old cars end up in the junkyard, a mountain of scrap and waste is created. harnish wants to salvage and recycle as much of the old cars as he can. and he'd like to make

a living from it. christiane hunnish founded a small company that recycles car batteries. it specializes in batteries for electric vehicles, which contain a lot of valuable raw materials, especially metals. but it's not easy to extract them, and it can also be dangerous. but that didn't discourage the businessman. the batteries are already out there, so it makes sense to extract the raw materials and reuse them. we saw the huge potential in that 10 years ago, the process engineer founded the dews infeld company. this special shredder is at the heart of the firm. it shreds the scrap batteries, turning them into a granular. there's a good reason for the thick steel plates in the machine. they protect the inner walls from the liquid components in the battery electrolyte, which is highly explosive. finding a way to separate the electrolyte from other components was the biggest challenge.

it took khan ish, 10 years of drawing, calculating and testing. now the pure battery fluid flows into a steel tank. this is the electrolyte fluid that no one else can do that. the company sells it to the chemical industry. the granulate from the scrap batteries, lands in the sorting machine, which results in a raise powder. at 1st glance, it doesn't look like it's worth much thought it would be fooled. this is the fuel for electrolytic. it contains lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese. and that's what we want to extract to do that tarnish needed experts on chemical processes. he found them at a university close by professor to be a. it knows exactly which acids can be used to extract the precious metals without dissolving them. but isolating numerous metals from the great powder is a challenge even for the specialist in hydro metallurgy. he was so taken with the

idea that he became a partner at duzen felt. eventually a method was developed that breaks down the great powder step bunch step into its components, cobalt sulfate, lithium carbonate, nickel sulfate and manganese sulfate. in this pure form, the precious raw materials can be used in the production of batteries 50. i wanted to keep the impact on nature as small as possible. it's not truly desirable to keep the cycle of raw materials as small as possible. the dusun failed company has proven that it can extract precious metals from batteries, albeit on a small scale. soon though, these special shredders will be placed at various locations around europe. the aim is to sell not the recyclable powder, but the precious metals for that. a specialized chemical factory is needed. and i

think you're the one to a lot of thinking about it all, but it's wonderful when you see that what you come up with has been put into effect . duzen felt as already reached a recycling rate of 91 percent per battery. the standard is just 32 percent. as a pioneer in recycling, christiane harnish has shown what's possible. that's a promising development for the e.u. more politicized. it's encouraging to know that people all over the world. i working hard to reduce the amount of how we do to nature are not environment. i might report creature of the woman who is able to see beauty in things that others do not read. seymour told me, pretty cool earrings. right? well, they're made from us. these country chairs are also called just like these funky

coffee table design, a painting turns truck into treasure. she finds tyrone which marines at both grow. she dumpsite for electronic waste. it's the place where old computers and keyboards wind up along with stacks of car tires. the smell of burning rubber fills the air. a lot of people here upon the trash to recover pieces of coal power that they can sell on. but pain is not hunted for copper. she's on the lookout for inspiration. lots of voices get the positives from you. so we've tried to find a solution to this problem, a story, not all small way to need to get climate change. we decided to come here for wings . he says towards this scrap yard has an army. now it's nickname and camera. it's about the size of 20 so-called kilt,

which means there's plenty of material for my field of to sort through. she comes here several times a week. and this time and these computer circuit boards have called to try out what that's going to work with anything, whether it's broken, all is new or is all those that's what once was, that's what we call them. once is welcoming mr. final, when it's a whole story, the 1st stage of the transformation is a good clean. then the material is cut into smaller pieces and sundered down to make smooth ages. finally, matilda paint puts the finishing touches to how unique earrings killed those projects require time and teamwork spaces. a biggest challenge. we don't have a bigger space so we can alter, employed more and we can do more. for us on the 2nd one is machinery. as you can

see around we have just simple tools that will work with what the team certainly isn't lacking. is imagination. they can try on all generate electric scrap into lampshades tables or clocks. and matilda paint regularly exhibits have designs of conferences, objects. not only they are opening to, i think, rather than take all this amazing stuff that all this money has been poured into and just put the world with it. why not turn it into art? a lot of places across the world were having a problem with an increase in ways. i'd like managing the ways to getting rid of it . pain has won several awards. creative way of doing her bit for the environment. and she has even bigger things planned for the company, which are looking not really able to and therefore would love to train more women

too, which are into what we're doing now to be able to study own businesses would also like to empower the youth expression, which we come into produce like us for every item already. 5 percent of the money she mix to the education of underprivileged young girls. she doesn't only want to bring these carded i back to life. she also wants to give something back to society. a great idea for the environment and for education too. if you have any more ideas, why not contact on social media and show us what you've managed to do with your ways i am now inside me. i'm afraid it's time to say so long. see you next week. i just want to repeat one number from our show before we go, 57000000000 us dollars. that is how much the wild electronic waste was worth in 2019. so remember that before you threw away your old phone in the trash, it is

a good buy for me. here in company, uganda. the big

fastest bed in the world drives 110 kilometers an hour. one needs it, but it's a lot of fun, says its inventor and builder grit gets things moving. that shouldn't actually move it all. the top, very absorbent pads, which was fun to be able to hold

what's the secret behind this classic visit to sally? as soon as you hear beta blows your mind or the story behind the music for the ages, the bridge the same place, beethoven's 9th symphony for the world starts to simmer down on t.w. . the fight against the coronavirus pandemic has the rate of infection been developing. measures are being taken.

what does the latest research say? information and context. the coronavirus a special monday to friday. to claim it is bobby the pop star grills against a cup of shut. let's turn to this one coming from a poor family. loves to become president and he challenges and doesn't play the credible story of bobby walling starts december 10th on g.w.

play this is d.w. news live from berlin. paris is under pressure after protests erupt across france over a new security bill. demonstrators in the french capital, say plans to restrict the publication of images of police officers on duty would allow a legit brutality by authorities to go on punished. we'll hear from our course.