Gibraltar’s Toxic Tech
With its largely service-based economy, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Gibraltar didn’t have to deal with the problem of toxic waste, perhaps more commonly seen in countries reliant on manufacturing, mining and even agriculture. However, every gaming company, insurance firm, fintech organisation, retailer, restaurant, and literally every other business on the Rock is potentially responsible for producing a particularly nasty waste byproduct – e-waste.
E-waste (or electronic waste, to give it its full title) refers to discarded electrical and electronic devices. These include everyday consumer electronics and office equipment such as smartphones, tablets, computers, printers, and scanners. While these items might appear innocuous, e-waste often contains hazardous materials like lead, mercury, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants. Improper disposal can release these toxic substances into the environment, contaminating soil, water, and air. This isn’t just damaging to the local ecology. Exposure to hazardous materials in e-waste can cause serious health issues, including respiratory problems, neurological damage, and cancer.
With thousands of workers spending every waking moment staring at a computer screen, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Rock faces a big challenge in disposing of these devices responsibly. Gibraltar takes this issue very seriously.
What the law says
A spokesperson for the HM Government of Gibraltar told Thrive Magazine that e-waste on the Rock must be processed in compliance with the Environment (waste regulations) 2007 and the Public Health Act 1991. The act addresses e-waste management through regulations relating to classification and handling, producer responsibility, permits for e-waste management, recycling and recovery, and documentation and reporting.
“The government has an ongoing environmental education programme that seeks to raise awareness of a number of issues, including waste management. Information is included on the Thinking Green Website and social media channels, and talks and targeted initiatives are carried out as required or requested.”
New regulations will also shortly be introduced on the Rock.
“These will require businesses to recycle their waste, including waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). It is hoped that this, along with the recovery and re-use initiative being offered in conjunction with the Ecopark, will reduce the amount of WEEE being disposed of incorrectly.”
What happens to e-waste in Gibraltar?
Electrical and electronic equipment disposed of as waste is typically dealt with in one or two ways.
Where appropriate, items are dismantled by a dedicated team and the relevant constituent parts stored locally before being exported and recycled. Recycling doesn’t just prevent e-waste from going to landfills. Electronic devices often contain valuable materials such as gold, silver, copper, and rare earth elements. When e-waste is not recycled correctly, these resources are lost, leading to increased mining and depletion of natural resources. Alternatively, devices are identified as reusable by the Ecopark waste centre and given a new lease of life through donation.
However, the government spokesperson told us Gibraltar faces several challenges unique to its equally unique geographic and geopolitical situation.
“Gibraltar’s main challenge with respect to all waste is the renewal of the Transfrontier Shipment Authorisations (TFS), which have been administratively more onerous since BREXIT. This has resulted in delays in the processing of these which in turn creates other challenges in respect of storage space for waste prior to export.”
Reducing and giving back
Many local companies are already taking a proactive stance to reduce the amount of e-waste they produce.
Adrianna Proetta, sustainability and communications assistant at MH Bland Group of Companies, explained how they manage the potential problem of e-waste.
“Taking care of and maintaining your equipment is the primary step to reducing the need for replacement or disposal,” says Mandy. “We have a fantastic IT and maintenance team who really take care of all our equipment across all of our departments, so e-waste is not as common an occurrence as you may think.”
Devices that are no longer needed in the business but can be re-used are always put up for donation.
“They are offered to staff members who may need electronic equipment at home or worthy charities such as PossAbilities,” says Mandy. “One of our core company values is caring about our communities, so we aim to work with community-based charities.PossAbilities is an independent support facility for persons and families with Supported Needs and Disabilities, providing access to adapted and inclusive resources and facilities to the Neurodiverse community. They use the equipment in their offices for either staff or the children during their after-school clubs or workshops.”
- Thinking Green: https://thinkinggreen.gov.gi/
- PossAbilities: https://possabilities-gib.com/
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