Phnom Penh (VNA) - Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment has called on municipal and provincial authorities to enforce a ban on the import of electronic waste, including batteries and used electrical and electronic equipment, warning that such waste poses risks to public health and the environment.
In a letter sent to governors of all capital and provincial administrations, the ministry urged serious enforcement of existing laws prohibiting the import of waste batteries and waste electrical and electronic equipment into the country, reported Khmer Times.
The prohibited items include used air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, clothes dryers, televisions, desktop computers, laptops, mobile phones and tablets. They are classified as hazardous waste because they contain toxic substances, including mercury, cadmium, nickel, chromium, arsenic and lead, Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth said.
Sophalleth added that battery and electronic equipment recycling projects planning to import hazardous waste from abroad as feedstock could pose serious risks to public health and the environment and should not be approved. He said the enforcement measures are aimed at protecting public health and the environment from toxic substances contained in electronic waste.
Earlier in June, the ministry affirmed that Cambodia will not allow itself to become a dumping ground for electronic waste from abroad, saying the import ban is part of efforts to protect the country’s natural resources and public health./.
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