Zombie Appliances

07/31/20

“What happens when used appliances are resold on the black market in The Global South?”

Electric appliances have a limited shelf-life. But their discarding may not be the end of their use. Often times, these appliances are loaded up and shipped out from the global north to The Global South. Here, they are sold on the black market, use 2 – 3 times more energy than their more updated counterparts, stress the electric grids, are mechanically volatile, and contribute to climate change by releasing now banned chemicals into the atmosphere. These Zombie Appliances are a major threat to the world and nations all over the world are teaming up to fight this exploitive system.

Image credit nationalpostcom.files.wordpress.com

• Engineering
• Policy