The E-Waste Database

🌱 What has been alleged? On 31 August 2022, the UN published a report that found that “serious human rights violations” – that “may constitute crimes against humanity” – had taken place in Xinjiang, China. The report outlined that Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim communities had been arbitrarily mass detained and subjected to forced labor in “re-education camps” or so-called “Vocational Educational and Training Centres” (VETCs). There have also been allegations of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities being subjected to torture, forced sterilization, sexual violence, political indoctrination, religious repression, and other forms of cultural erasure. 🌱 What is the scale? Roughly two-thirds of the 26 million people living in Xinjiang belong to ethnic minorities, such as the Muslim Uygur and Kazakh groups. In April 2021, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) identified 385 detention sites based on their analysis of satellite imagery, eyewitness accounts, construction contracts, and leaked government documents. According to ASPI, these were built and expanded between 2017 and 2021. Human rights activists have estimated that over 1 million Uyghurs have endured political indoctrination, mass detention, and forced labour. Key industries accused of using forced labour in Xinjiang include polysilicon for photovoltaics, electric vehicles, and EV batteries. 🌱 How have the US and EU responded? According to the UN, China still has “many problematic laws and policies” in place in Xinjiang. The US State Department has voiced disappointment that, over the past two years, the Chinese government has continued to reject the UN’s findings and refused to implement the recommendations it made. In line with this, the US and EU have introduced sanctions against Chinese officials and firms. They have also passed new legislation to limit the imports of goods suspected of being made with forced labour. Despite this, based on Chinese customs data, the EU’s “direct imports from Xinjiang [allegedly] rose by 170.6 per cent in July compared to a year earlier”. 🌱 What has China’s response been? China has claimed that the individuals who were formerly at the VETCs have found better work and that they have therefore closed the VETCs in the meantime. In response to the measures taken by the US, legislators in Xinjiang have now said that they will “increase support for US-sanctioned enterprises, including via the legal system and overseas promotions”. In a resolution from 23 August 2024, the legislature notably called on “[t]he entire region [to] immediately take action to support the development of sanctioned enterprises and related industries”. More specifically, judicial authorities in Xinjiang are to “provide legal support to sanctioned enterprises so they can seek compensation from the US for losses caused”. Read more about the human rights risks in Xinjiang here: - https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/08/1153621 - https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/china-two-years-after-xinjiang-findings-un-rights-chief-reports-limited-access-to-information-reprisals-against-activists/ - https://www.voanews.com/a/china-willing-to-engage-with-un-rights-body-on-xinjiang/7763139.html - https://www.voanews.com/a/china-deflects-after-un-renews-calls-to-investigate-xinjiang-abuses/7765407.html - https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3276654/us-disappointed-chinas-actions-xinjiang-two-years-after-un-human-rights-report - https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3276158/chinas-problematic-laws-remain-xinjiang-two-years-after-damning-report-un - https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3276908/chinas-xinjiang-vows-increase-support-firms-under-us-forced-labour-sanctions Read more about the stance of the US and China here: - https://www.state.gov/second-anniversary-of-the-un-high-commissioner-for-human-rights-assessment-on-the-human-rights-situation-in-xinjiang/ - https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/ohchr-assessment-of-human-rights-concerns-in-the-xinjiang-uyghur-autonomous-region-peoples-republic-of-china/ - https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-02/Xinjiang-resolution-combating-U-S-sanctions-takes-effect-1wzGKqDVuww/p.html - https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202409/03/WS66d66ca1a3108f29c1fc9cd7.html - https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202409/1319109.shtml

🌱 Why has lawsuit been brought? Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe and Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) have brought a court case against the European Commission (EC) over what they call “grossly inadequate” climate targets for 2030. According to the two, the EU’s current climate ambitions do not align with the 1.5°C limit of the Paris Agreement. CAN Europe had previously filed a similar lawsuit against the EC, but this was not admitted. The two non-profit groups now hope that the landmark ruling from the KlimaSeniorinnen v. Switzerland case in April 2024 will help their current case. 🌱 What does the lawsuit allege? The two non-profit environmental groups are challenging the emissions limits that the EC has set for EU member states under the EU’s Effort Sharing Regulation. This regulation applies to a number of key sectors – including waste – that together contribute more than half of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions. According to CAN and GLAN, the EC has set “unlawful annual emission limits” for several sectors. The two non-profit groups say the impact assessment for the regulation failed to sufficiently factor in the impacts of climate change on the relevant fundamental rights. They also say that the EC has failed to conduct the necessary science-based assessments and make use of the best available climate science when setting these goals. Through the case, the non-profit groups are hoping to move the EC to set out more ambitious emissions rules for 2030. 🌱 What climate targets are there? Last year, the EU raised its overall emissions reduction goals for 2030 to 55% (based on 1990 levels). Under the EU’s Effort Sharing Regulation, EU member states must reduce their emissions by 10% to 50% (from 2005 levels) in specific sectors. According to leading scientists, global emissions need to be roughly halved by 2030 for there to be any chance of limiting global warming to 1.5C. Environmental groups say that historical polluters like the EU – that have contributed significantly to climate change and have the financial means to pay for climate measures – should be contributing more to achieving this goal. In line with this, CAN and GLAN are calling on the EU to raise its overall emissions reduction goals for 2030 to 65% (based on 1990 levels). 🌱 What happens next? The current case was brought before the General Court of the EU’s Court of Justice earlier this year. On 27 August 2024, CAN and GLAN submitted the final written arguments to the court. The EC can now provide one more written response before the case moves forward. As the case has been given priority status over other cases by the General Court’s president, it has been “fast-tracked”. The first oral hearing and a judgement are therefore expected for 2025 and early 2026 respectively. Read more about climate case here: - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/aug/27/campaigners-sue-eu-over-grossly-inadequate-2030-climate-targets - https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/climate-campaigners-take-eu-court-over-2030-emissions-cutting-rules-2024-08-27/ - https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/ngos-slap-commission-with-lawsuits-over-2030-climate-targets-green-shipping-and-aviation/ - https://www.euractiv.com/section/climate-environment/news/the-green-deals-next-battlefield-the-law-courts/ - https://earth.org/green-groups-sue-european-commission-over-insufficient-emission-reduction-targets/ - https://eandt.theiet.org/2024/08/27/eu-sued-climate-campaigners-failure-meet-emission-targets - https://caneurope.org/can-europe-and-glan-legally-challenge-european-commission-to-up-eu-climate-ambition/ - https://www.glanlaw.org/single-post/eu2030-climate-target-case

🌱 Why do vapes cause fires? Vapes and e-cigarettes contain lithium-ion batteries. As the vapes are often disposed of incorrectly, they cause fires in garbage cans, garbage trucks, and at disposal facilities. Lithium-ion batteries can easily ignite when they are damaged. There is always a risk of this happening when using large machines to sort and process waste, as is the case in most larger waste disposal or recycling facilities. The fires caused by burning lithium-ion batteries reach temperatures of up to 1200°C, which is as hot as the flame of a welding torch. The fires usually spread very quickly, as explosions tend to also occur. 🌱 How many battery fires are there in Germany? According to the Federal Association of the German Waste Management Industry, around 30 fires break out daily in recycling plants and garbage trucks across Germany as the result of lithium-ion batteries that are unproperly disposed of in household waste. Firefighters have to be called to the site for half of these fires. 🌱 How much damage is caused? The “lax handling” of lithium-ion batteries by consumers creates large costs for waste disposal and recycling companies. A year ago, a fire at a plant in Oberderdingen in the Karlsruhe district caused millions in damage. Similarly, two fires at a waste disposal company in Waiblingen in the Stuttgart region destroyed a warehouse, which cost EUR 2.5 million to reconstruct. As a result of the high costs, many insurers are reluctant to provide insurance for fires to waste disposal and recycling companies. Moreover, updating the fire protection technology at facilities is expensive, which ultimately also impacts waste disposal fees. 🌱 Who is calling for a vape ban? The state governments of North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg have demanded that consumers be informed better about the correct disposal of batteries for a longer time. Now, they are also calling for a nationwide ban on disposable vapes due to the fire risks. In line with this, they have submitted a formal request to the German federal government to ban disposable vapes in Germany. As a part of their request, they have also asked the German federal government to look into introducing a deposit requirement for batteries containing lithium. 🌱 How should lithium-ion batteries be stored and disposed? Lithium-ion batteries should be checked regularly for damage. They should not be stored in too hot or cold temperatures or next to flammable materials. When lithium-ion batteries – or devices containing lithium-ion batteries – are disposed of, they should not be placed in the normal household waste but brought to recycling centers or returned to stores that sell the corresponding batteries or devices. As a general rule, following the manufacturer's instructions is a good idea. Read more about the battery fires and vape ban here: - https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/e-zigarette-brandgefahr-im-muell-100.html - https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/abfall-brandgefahr-durch-lithiumprodukte-100.html