UN IN ACTION Release Date: January 2016 Programme: 1502 Length: 5 13 Languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish CHINA: STREAMLINING EWASTE VIDEO AUDIO RECYCYLING EWASTE IN GUANGDONG PROVINCE In China s Guangdong (GWANG DUNG) province, recycling electronic waste, or e-waste, is a multimillion dollar business. (12) INFORMAL RECYCLING PEOPLE ON CELL PHONES Some 80 percent of the people who live in the City of Guiyu (GWAY) earn a living by ripping apart old electronics, especially mobile phones and computers, and salvaging valuable components to sell on the lucrative e-waste black market. (16) But the communication revolution brought about by these high tech products also has a darker side (12) KAISER KUO ON-CAMERA We should really be mindful of how nowadays people get rid of their old phones all the time. (5) KAISER INTRO IMAGES BAIDU COMPAMY Kaiser Kuo (KYSIR QWOH) is a Director with
PEOPLE WORKING Baidu, China s largest Internet search engine company. (10) KAISER ON CAMERA ILLEGAL RECYCLING, COAST WATER WAYS Sometimes they end up in a city in coastal China for dismantling. Very, very unhealthy and unsafe ways.. not only exposes people doing the disassembly to toxins, to dangerous chemicals, but also pollutes the air and ground water. (17) FIELDS, GUSHING WATER Exposure to carcinogens, toxic fumes, and contaminated soil can be deadly, experts say. (7) CHINA/USA/GHANA BAIDU WORKERS WORKING ON NEW APPS THE APP ON A SMARTPHONE But e-waste isn t only a problem in China. West Africa has become a dumping ground for obsolete electronics from other parts of the world. According to a United Nations report, China and the US produce one-third of the planet s e-waste. (19) To address this dilemma, Baidu has come up with an innovation that could help reduce the improper disposal of electronic waste in China. (9) It s a web-based app called Recycling Station developed in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP. But how exactly does it work? (12) DEMO NATSOT DEMONSTRATION OF APP. We type in a sign. It gives me a choice of
different electronic products that I might want to recycle. If I decide to recycle this refrigerator here, this old refrigerator. All I need to do is pick the size of the refrigerator, the date that I would like it to be picked up and then take a photo of it. Now I select the place where I am. That means someone will come and pick it up. (24) AGI VERES INTRO SHOTS Agi Veres is country director at UNDP in Beijing. (3) AGI ON-CAMERA AGI VERES: (In English) M This is very new, but we already see the success in this. Within two months, 11,000 devices got recycled. (8) TCL OPERATIONS The app was tested at TCL in Tianjin City, one of the largest manufacturers of electronics as well as a leading recycling company in the north of China. (11) INTRO SHOTS OF WONG Demi Wong is Assistant Manager at TCL and she says her company plans to recycle 100,000 tons of e-waste each year. (8) DEMI WONG ON-CAMERA DEMI WONG: (In Chinese) F We have the same goal which is to create a perfect online e-waste recycling system. // We have all the equipment to ensure that we do this right. (12)
EWASTE RECYCLING AT TCL Aware of the dangers of toxic materials present in old appliances and electronics, workers use a special machine to process Cathode Ray Tubes, or CRTs, from archaic television units. (13) PEOPLE ON MOBILE DEVICES It s all part of a scheme supported by the Government of China to cut the amount of e- waste generated in the country. Unless immediate action is taken, by 2017 China will overtake the US as the world s largest e-waste producer. (17) ELECTRONIC STORES, ETC. PEOPLE WITH SMART PHONES KAISER AT BAIDU COMPANY China s rapid economic growth has led to high levels of consumption. More and more people can now afford flat screen television sets, computers, and multiple mobile phones, often trading in the older models for the newer ones. (16) KAISER ON-CAMERA MONTAGE YOUNG PEOPLE WITH PHONES EWASTE/INFORMAL SECTOR POLLUTION IMAGES AGRICULTURAL FIELDS Kaiser believes that targetting the younger generation, through its app, to think responsibly is part of the solution. (8) The app is entirely free. // The app is a fine piece of technology. But I think more than that, is the mentality, the commitment behind it. (8) It s hoped that this high-tech initiative could help China to reduce its e-waste output considerably. At the same time, it could ease the health related impact on people who recycle e-waste illegally, protect water systems, and the environment. (18)
UN LOGO This report was produced by Mary Ferreira for the United Nations. (4.5)