A free Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) developed by UNEP and partners reveals what happens to mobile phones and computers when they are finished with and what can be done in response.

E-waste - one of the fastest growing streams of refuse - is estimated to be on track to weigh 50 million tonnes by 2018 at current rates.

The MOOC explains why electronic waste must be managed in an environmentally-sound manner and the actions individuals, businesses and other organisations can take in order to contribute to this.

Participants can learn how e-waste can be extracted in a way that supports the local economy while protecting human health and the environment, the technological solutions to reduce hazard by design, the role of policy and legislation such as the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions, and much more.

The MOOC is now open and participants can register to complete all of or part of the course by clicking here.

The course is developed by the Secretariat of the BRS Conventions, Climate-KIC, the University of Leuven and the World Resources Forum.

For more information please contact charles.avis@brsmeas.org