Vital Waste Graphics

36

37

Number of personal computers

450 Per 1000 people

East Asia and Pacific Middle East and North Africa Europe and Central Asia North America

Information and communication technology expenditures

400

Switzerland Norway Denmark

Source: World Bank, 2002.

United States

350

300

Netherlands

Sweden

Mexico

250

Belgium

Finland

Japan

200

UK

Canada

World average

150

US dollars per capita per year

Ireland

South Korea

2 500

100

Hong Kong (China)

Israel

50

0

Singapore

2 000

Portugal

1990

1995

2000 2002

Russian Federation

Australia

Turkey

1 500

China

Vietnam

Italy

Spain

New Zealand

Greece

France

Malaysia

Venezuela

1 000

Egypt

Saudi Arabia

India

Germany

Colombia

Thailand

Philippines

Brazil

Indonesia

South Africa

500

Chile

Argentina

0

Source: World Bank, 2002.

Personal computers per 1 000 people

As a comparison...

Human Development Index (HDI) in 2002

less then 10 10 to 50 50 to 200 200 to 500 more then 500

0,96 0,90 0,80 0,70 0,50 0,27

no data

The Human Development Index (HDI) is calculated using three variables: life expectancy, education level and income.

no data

Source: World Bank, 2002.

The Basel Convention has before it an amendment which would ban the export of hazardous waste for disposal to developing countries. Some countries (for example those in the European Union) have already implemented this proposed amendment. In addition countries like China have banned the im- portation of e-waste, although significant volumes are still entering the country illegally. It is estimated that there are over a billion personal computers in the world at present. In developed countries these have an average life span of only 2 years. In the United States alone there are over 300 million obsolete computers. (US National Safety Council).

Mobile phones per 1 000 people

0,52 to 10 10 to 50 50 to 200 200 to 500 500 to 1060

no data available

Source: World Bank, 2002.