e-wasteland: a gift from the US to China

CBS 60 Minutes aired this investigative report on November 9, 2008, uncovering a dirty little secret -- scratch that -- disgustingly huge secret in the world of Electronics Recycling.

Two steps forward, one giant step backwards, is that how it goes? Just when you think you are doing a good thing by sending your old electronics to be responsibly recycled, you find out that some companies are smuggling the stuff overseas and dumping it into small villages in China, further destroying land, air, water and human health. Why? Because there are little bits of valuable pieces hidden inside these machines that poor people can get paid to extract, despite health implications. Criminals see it's easier and more profitable to dump the trash in someone else's backyard despite environmental and social justice laws.

Read the full 60 Minutes report.

The Basel Action Network (BAN) is working to prevent this toxic trading and assisted the 60 Minutes investigation.

The organization is named for the Basel Ban:

"a decision that effectively banned as of 1 January 1998, all forms of hazardous waste exports from the 29 wealthiest most industrialized countries of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to all non-OECD countries."

But, not being able to exploit people is bad for business you see?

"Unfortunately, the Basel Ban is still under serious attack and needs to be vigilantly protected against further efforts at sabotage primarily by the United States, Australia, Canada and such industrial lobby groups as the United States Chamber of Commerce, and the International Chamber of Commerce."

BAN's mission?

BAN works to prevent the globalization of the toxic chemical crisis. We work in opposition to toxic trade in toxic wastes, toxic products and toxic technologies, that are exported from rich to poorer countries. Alternatively, we work to ensure national self-sufficiency in waste management through clean production and toxics use reductions and in support of the principle of global environmental justice -- where no peoples or environments are dispro-portionately poisoned and polluted due to the dictates of unbridled market forces and trade.

Why Toxic Trade is an important issue:

There is an ugly underbelly of economic globalisation that few wish to talk about. Under the guise of simply utilizing the “competitive advantage” of cheap labour markets in poorer areas of the world, a disproportionate burden of toxic waste, dangerous products and polluting technologies are currently being exported from rich industrialised countries to poorer developing countries. In effect, rather than being helped to leap-frog over dirty development cycles directly toward clean production methods, developing countries are instead being asked to perpetuate some of the world's most toxic industries and products and are even asked to become the global dumping ground for much of the world's toxic wastes.

Check out all of BAN's important campaigns and projects.

BAN's E-Waste Stewardship Project ensures that exports of hazardous electronic waste (Particularly from the USA) to developing countries, exposed by BAN, are eliminated and replaced with producer responsibility and green design programs/legislation.

For a list of current E-waste Recycling companies that BAN has deemed responsible so far, click here.

Get in touch with E-Stewards to learn more and ensure your electronics are being recycled/disposed of properly.