Where do your old mobile phones and TVs go to die? | BBC News

Dandora sits on the outskirts of Nairobi, in Kenya, and is home to one of the largest dump sites in East Africa.
Although it was declared full 20 years ago, over 800 tonnes of garbage is still dumped on the site every day.
In recent years, an increasing proportion of this is electronic waste such as old mobile phones, TVs and laptops.
So, what is being done to combat the problem?
This video is from BBC Click, the BBC’s flagship technology programme.
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#Africa #Technology #BBCNews

[@richperez2168]

This problem is further compounded by the fact you are pretty much forced to buy new hardware every few years because tech companies stop supporting updates on legacy hardware.

[@paul7TM]

Exactly. That and the built in batteries that wear out. Remember when you could easily buy and swap the battery.

[@sealwheel]

they do it on purpose

[@shlomomarkman6374]

Nobody is forcing anyone to buy new HW. Not supporting doesn't mean not working. Take an Android Smartphone, yes it won't get updates after 2 years but it's still usable for almost all applications for many years to come. Most majorAndroid apps right now require Android version 9 which is the final update of devices from 2017. On the PC side the support is even longer. Even if official Windows 10 support is ending you can circumvent the requirements and upgrade all Intel core PCs produced since 2009 to Windows 11. It's the issue that people aren't trying to keep their electronics alive and run after latest tech even if their previous tech was working. I just recently was forced to replace the smartphone after 6 years of service due to RAM failure and still keep my 2014 laptop which replaced a 2005 laptop. In desktops it's even easier, just replace the storage to SSD.

[@richperez2168]

@@shlomomarkman6374 You started your response by saying "no one is forced" and ended your response by saying "I just recently was forced." 🤷🤔🤦

[@t1n4444]

Yes, but, network technologies progress year on year. Obliging industry to service ancient 3G networks, say, is a waste of time and money for the networks when they could be developing ever faster 6G, 7G etc. You should consider that the phones are merely access equipment to a network and shouldn't necessarily be considered your "forever phone". That is absurd. If "you" can't afford to upgrade them you shouldn't be holding back others who can afford paying for an improved service. Some might argue that cell phones are used within the lower classes to promote, aid and abet crime as well as allowing millions of pointless social conversations and cyber bullying on the cerebrally disadvantaged. (Stupid parents, of which there are far, far, far too many might be considered as responsible for said cyber bullying by providing phones to their children in the first place.) Far better for the rest of us to see the lower classes improve their education skills, gain well paid employment and thus increase the tax revenue. And then they can afford to subscribe to the forthcoming xxG networks and services as well as. Hope that helps.

[@stankssmile5865]

I wish global organisations start and force international laws on these manufacturing companies to supply devices with 20+ years of life span and nothing below

[@Jeff--vq4zb]

We can start by using LineageOS on phones. Reclaim your CPU and get rid of Alphabet.

[@stankssmile5865]

@@theotherone8036 I want to tell this to this French guy telling my Indian citizens why you're selling a waist belt for 80cents he doesn't get it like you do

[@souvikguha]

Recycling the old stuff is good and important and at the same time authorities should help these people who collect the waste with adequate protection equipments.

[@richardbyarugaba1365]

Thank you BBC news for this investigation. Maybe tech companies and smartphone manufacturers that make billions of dollars in profits per year should now have a role in the clean up of the environment. They can use a slice of their profits to pay for recycling, land regeneration and a sustainable disposal of their old products.

[@stankssmile5865]

Sad part is human behaviour will make them want to avoid this added cost subjective responsibility

[@t1n4444]

Nothing to stop you buying shares in the telecoms outfits and taking your divi.

[@lopatine]

It's not "they can", it's they must use a slice of their profits to recycle all this stuff. Or they must be forced to do this.

[@richardbyarugaba1365]

@@lopatine I agree. Governments allover the world should set up strict regulations and make sure billion dollar tech companies are paying for e-waste disposal, recycling and regeneration of the land fills they have ruined. This should apply to even auto manufacturers. Ordinary people should not continue to suffer pollution of their land and water ways and air while the polluters make hundreds of billions of dollars. If they can not take it upon themselves to be responsible about our planet, they should be legally held to account.

[@BePositive1984]

It’s the kind of country where one person can’t afford a roof and another has a gold bath

[@lfeb]

That is everywhere

[@Audiogeek-kf2ez]

One of the better BBC affiliate stories. Recycle would be easy , but it comes down to money spent too money coming in. These are a very hard working people who will die from pollution. Why the US and the EU do not recycle is way beyond me.

[@fredo1070]

You know the old clothes you give to Oxfam, they're wearing them.

[@sealwheel]

i save so many electronics from the wasteland!!! all reusable. friend found an iphone 14 pro max a year ago. the fact that “trash” is profitable for these people even after being crushed and tossed around not even mentioning before they are sent across the world shows a huge problem. wastefulness. not only for the environment, but the people throwing stuff away new OR old (windows xp, etc) are losing big time. please at least donate it to a loving home!!!

[@ThrelkeldOutdoors]

The Brave Little Toaster taught me the truth back in 1990.

[@boris8787]

For obvious reasons that's never a problem in my favourite town.

[@thingstodoinguernseychannel]

I've been to Africa and it's weird because one part is absolutely full of rich and yet just across the road. It's all poor people that are offering you a shilling for a plastic cap for your bottle so We saved up our bottles and gave them to the little kids in the streets so they could make some Bob for themselves.

[@richperez2168]

It's like that everywhere in the world, buddy.

[@titteryenot4524]

Was Bob himself happy with this arrangement?

[@OneHappyCrazyPerson]

You understand they bought glue or kerosine with it to use as drugs ?

[@thingstodoinguernseychannel]

@@titteryenot4524 Surely you've heard the saying. Have you got a few Bob in your pocket meaning money.

[@OneHappyCrazyPerson]

Why bob ?

[@Isclachau]

Same place as the BBC’s reputation as an honest broadcaster. ….

[@MJ18888]

Countries need to continue manufacturing to support their economy but the earth doesn’t need it.

[@samfisher7953]

This goat has recently called me and thanked for my old cellphone. 02:14

[@bojanm986]

Avdeyevka BBC! We want to hear about it from you.

[@nzs316]

How does this report make any sense. As he’s being interviewed he says there’s not a lot of electronics!

[@lfeb]

Sad

[@roberttalada5196]

I like how the thumbnail doesn’t have a single tv or mobile phone

[@RatTerminator]

Why dont they put electronics in separate area??

[@ozdigg9254]

because THIS is the area where they sort it. It needs to change, doesn't it?

[@aavvcc]

Exactly my thought. That would require government intervention. From the looks of it, the Kenyan government does not put the welfare of its people high on their priority list.

[@mygreatbigfoot1679]

In my local dump in Hove, E.Sussex they have a skip they throw it into. I tried to liberate a memory chip and they accused me of stealing. A lovely old lady arrived there in her car under the assumption that her old but functional pc would be given on to a charity. When she realised that it’d be hurled into the skip, she decided no, she wanted to give it to me, but the guard told her she couldn’t give it to me in the waste dump. So she reversed out of their gate and then handed it to me. God bless her!

[@alexdalton2473]

People don't realise thats all are waste the reason it's in there country we hav paid that country to hav are rubbish thats wrong

[@BJ-kn2te]

I keep mine for nostalgic purposes

[@caesar7734]

Are those giant birds the equivalent of Seagulls in Kenya?

[@luisfernando-mm3jt]

This is what we are doing to our world😮

[@masolotech]

It's really inhumane !! Please shut down these depositories in Kenya. ✊🇰🇪🇨🇩

[@KlaraL-_-]

To the silicon heaven, of course.

[@jakel8627]

Im Sikhism we believe that if an iPhone lived a good life and helped others, they go to a wonderful place called heaven. But if they lived a dishonest life, they burn in iPhone hell.

[@Abhisheksingh0929]

#UPP_Paper_Leak

[@dalebenton3354]

well,Many years ago,They all used to get burried in to the ground at a waste site,One day,Recycling become available,All these years worth of waste what got burried,All got dug up out of the ground,All got recycled,Any thing else what gets chucked out,All gets recycled now days,Then it gets chucked out again,Then gets recycled over and over again,Amount of waste being saved now days

[@pennyburns6123]

I seen where the refurb them and call them a new phone. Seen a new phone taken apart. Inside was old and parts were melted. They r ripping people off

[@JScot92]

All my e-waste goes into a neat pile right at the back of my attic. Will probably chuck some insulation over it to hide it when I move out, and just walk away.

[@oneshothunter9877]

TF? 😂

[@teresachantal6515]

I just buy new one.🤣

[@Zenithx3]

The ocean.

[@Mr.Jacob.1]

This video should be shown to those Nvidia fanatics who buy for example a 3060 and then a slighty better one... yes, these kind of people exist.

[@KitsGravity]

Unfortunately, they are not even fringe minority anymore.

[@Irohbro]

I have heard about this before

[@MrMarshmelloBoi]

Don't kill your Nokias.

[@mrg-ghx8052]

Ukraine, and the big guy gets 10%

[@wewillmodify8263]

silicon heaven?

[@GroverAU]

Consider. EVs whose batteries cost more than a new car to replace the scale of waste they will become. Insane tech fad driving these stupid behaviors.

[@AliGates-t6k]

♻️♻️♻️

[@kimambeikipsang]

1500/= is 6 USD? Fake news

[@robertcreighton4635]

They don't die because they are not alive.

[@peterpanini96]

My goodold plasma panasonic tv has been working very nice for the last 15 years. My old phones are still at my home and i use rechargeable batteries all the time... so yeas buy quality products and you reduce waste and pollution... rest of people replacing crappy chinese phones every 6months and tvs every 2 years... so yeas... blame china not responsible consumers... 😅

[@Blaise88]

So when exactly will AI, that new darling of the tech and media class, solve this horrendous problem?

[@janeil8184]

Africa my God ayayaya

[@Tvmaxsrilankan]

E waste as donations😢😢

[@muckraker7942]

“I burn all of mine in a barrel down the back of the garden. Then I put the slurry into the local river.”. - Joe Biden, 2024

[@Towersfam43232]

1:15 Despite his attempt to look proffesional though lol .. dude wearing 3 shirts

[@JeffreySmith7777]

17 degrees where I live today. Global warming really sucks.

[@JeffreySmith7777]

@user-qb3og5iu3r, sure. Actually we had a global cooling for centuries. Look it up Comrade. And spending isn't part of inflation. Back to school Skippy. So our sun isn't getting bigger? Lol

[@JeffreySmith7777]

@user-qb3og5iu3r , Now do the dinosaur fossils found in Alaska and Siberia. Dinosaurs eat snow? Come on man

[@JeffreySmith7777]

@user-qb3og5iu3r , now go cry to your two daddy's.

[@ozdigg9254]

@@JeffreySmith7777 You need to keep up with the latest discoveries, and research. Pronto.

[@JeffreySmith7777]

@@ozdigg9254, now do dinosaur fossils found in Alaska and Siberia. Back to school sonny!

[@tomhenry897]

Dumped in a 3rd world country or the ocean

[@nomoredarts8918]

I don't want to live on this planet anymore 😭

[@Q_ix4268]

Muqq

[@JohnofthefamilySmith]

It is all a scam.

[@1611_KJV-]

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Acts 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

[@progyandas9650]

'I will only stop wacking , when my body gives out'.

[@VVV85650]

No one word about Avdeevka from BBC 😆

[@Jeff--vq4zb]

They made a report but it's far too optimistic about next year.

[@lukaszzaremba7642]

Nowhere. They are not alive. But BBC is too stupid to see the difference. PS.How's Brexit going, BBC? And where is the clip on beautiful Sunak's recession?