Ecobreves – ARGENTINA : E-Waste Bill In Danger, Say Activists

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

BUENOS AIRES, Nov 19 2012 (IPS) - The Argentine government is blocking final approval of a bill on electronic waste that was passed four years ago by the country’s senate, according to the Argentine branch of Greenpeace. “The (ruling party) deputies decided not to sign the bill until it is endorsed by Minister of Industry Débora Giorgi, which means it could expire by the end of the month, and the process would have to start all over again,” Greenpeace activist Consuelo Bilbao told Tierramérica.

Argentina produces around 120,000 tons of e-waste annually, according to Greenpeace figures. There is no legal framework for the disposal of waste electronic equipment, which contains substances that pollute the water, air and soil.

The current bill establishes “extended producer responsibility” for recycling and final disposal. Bilbao maintained that by blocking the passage of the bill, Giorgi is serving the interests of the business sector, which is opposed to the legislation.