August 2010 Newsbrief

Back

GAO Report Calls for e-Waste Export Controls But Will It Legitimize Exporters?
http://www.ban.org/ban_news/2010/100812_gao_report.html

A GAO report released on August 11th 2010 calls on the EPA to deal with the flood of electronic waste originating from the United States. Titled "Electronic Waste: Considerations for Promoting Environmentally Sound Reuse and Recycling", the report recommends ratification of the Basel Convention. The United States have signed but have yet to officially ratify the international treaty that governs toxic waste trade.

Unfortunately, ratifying the Basel Convention alone would legalize shipments of electronic waste from the US to other Basel parties. The Ban Amendment to the Basel Convention makes exporting hazardous waste from developed countries to developing countries illegal. Without this amendment, shipment of e-waste from the US to other Ban parties becomes legal.

The Basel Action Network and Electroncis TakeBack Campaign recommend first implementing a ban on exporting hazardous electronic waste before ratifying the Basel Convention and accompanying Ban Amendment.