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.
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