European countries should look at their own poor enforcement of electronic waste management laws before blaming exporters dumping old computers in Africa for their failure to meet key environmental targets, a new report claims today. Research undertaken by INTERPOL and the United Nations among others, shows 10 times more discarded electronics are mismanaged within Europe than are exported. The study, Countering WEEE Illegal Trade (CWIT), confirms the EU remains way off track in its efforts to meet its e-waste goals, which are designed to ensure the environmentally safe disposal of computers, hairdryers, and other electrical goods that contain toxic components.  Just 35 per cent of the 9.5 million tonnes of electrical equipment chucked out by Europeans in 2012 was disposed of in an environmentally safe manner, causing pollution and forcing countries to miss out on valuable tax receipts, the report states. The current level of eWaste recovery is far below the EU's minimum coll…

What do Apple, Microsoft and Motorola have in common? All of these high-profile technology companies are harvesting new revenue out of discarded and end-of-life gadgets, rather than looking at them just as liabilities that require responsible recycling. What's more, all three are among the roughly 100 organisations using Hong Kong's Li Tong Group (aka LTG) to get the job done. FURTHER READING LTG, a specialist in reverse logistics, operates a network of 21 facilities in North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America. You can think of it as a contract "un-manufacturer" - an organisation authorized to take apart smartphones, computer networking equipment and other electronics devices. LTG handles items that are traded in, returned or unsold. "There is inevitably going to be excess or obsolete inventory. The dilemma is how to recover this while adding to the bottom and top line," said Linda Li, chief strategy officer of reverse logistics. "Smelting is not enough." The chall…

For most brands, the launch of a sustainability strategy would see the publication of ambitious targets to cut carbon emissions, often accompanied by great swathes of data demonstrating exactly how many lights will be turned off per square metre of office space. Dorel-Juvenile, the product manufacturer behind childcare brands such as Maxi-Cosi, Bébé Confort and Quinny, is taking a markedly different approach in its latest sustainability strategy, launched last month. FURTHER READING Instead of focusing on the carbon impact of its business operations, it has adopted a more holistic view of its role in its consumers' carbon-intensive lifestyles. The result is a sustainability strategy that aims to encourage greener, more socially conscious lifestyles through a radical rethink of the products and services Dorel-Juvenile offers. By 2020, the firm has pledged that more than 20 per cent of its sales will come from new sustainability solutions, which fall under two main catego…

For most people, buying a T-shirt is a pretty common occurrence. When you can buy a plain top on the high street for under £10, updating your wardrobe can quickly become an almost weekly event. But Tom Cridland, a young menswear designer based in London, believes wardrobe staples should be built to last. Last month Cridland launched a £25 T-shirt that is designed and guaranteed to last 30 years – if it wears out before the three decades are up, Cridland promises to mend or replace the shirt, free of charge. FURTHER READING The inspiration for the project came after Cridland set up his eponymous fashion label, which launched in 2014 with a range of men's trousers that have been spotted on the likes of Elton John, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Daniel Craig. "I certainly noticed the prevalence of fast fashion in the industry and what that can do to the environment, especially when companies are systematically making clothing to wear out," he tells BusinessGreen. "If you go into a…