• THE PROBLEM WITH ELECTRONICS
• Problem Overview
• Quickly Obsolete
• Hard to Recycle
  • Not designed for recycling
  • Toxics in Electronics
• E-Waste Badly Managed
  • E-waste in landfills
  • Global e-waste dumping
  • Prison recycling
• OUR WORK FOR SOLUTIONS
• Overview
• Producer Takeback
  • You make it, you take it back
  • Who takes back
  • Take Back My TV
  • About the industry
• Green Design
  • About green design
  • Purchasing green products
  • EPEAT
• Responsible Recycling
  • What is responsible recycling?
    • Beware of fake recycling
    • Manufacturers Commitment
  • How to recycle electronics
    • Find a responsible recycler
    • Manufacturer takeback programs
    • The e-stewards program
  • "R2" is not the answer
  • Info for recyclers
• Legislation and Policy
  • State legislation
  • State legislative toolkit
  • Federal legislation

 

Fake Recycling

Learn more about how to spot a fake recycling event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fake Electronics Recycling in Pittsburgh

Local Humane Society chapters in Pittsburgh, PA ran free e-waste fundraising collection events in May 2009, in conjunction with EarthEcycle of Tulsa, OK, believing the e-waste they collected would be recycled.

Instead, EarthEcycle loaded the products onto at least seven ocean-going shipping containers and exported them to developing nations. The Basel Action Network (BAN) has tracked six of these containers to Hong Kong (three were ultimately destined for Vietnam) and one to South Africa. The South African government has impounded one container at the port of Durban, and Hong Kong authorities have ordered at least three containers to be returned to the US.

The owner of EarthEcycle, Jeff Nixon, had assured the charities and the media that he would process the material locally, and that none of it would be exported. EarthEcycle promised the charities - two chapters of the Humane Society- $10,000 each for collecting the e-waste. Now, charities say they are unable to cash the checks sent from EarthEcycle because of insuffient funds.

(Left) Monitors collected at Pittsburgh e-waste recycling events loaded into containers. Photo copyright BAN 2009.

 

EPA Action

EarthEcycle is now in trouble with the EPA, which filed a complaint and compliance order in early June. The EPA complaint cites 7 violation counts for illegal management and exportation of “Cathode Ray Tubes” – the picture tube of old computer monitors and TVs.  The counts include “unauthorized export of hazardous waste” and “failure to prepare a hazardous waste manifest.”

See BAN and ETBC's research report on EarthEcycle

Dumping broken CRTs

June 12, 2009. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that workers for EarthEcycle admitted dumping broken CRT behind an old auto parts shop they had used for sorting the electronics. One worker is quoted as saying, "They made us hide the broken monitors when the DEP came around," referring to the state Department of Environmental Protection. Read article.

Press reports:

Environmental Protection Agency takes action against electronics recycler, by Thomas Olson, Pittsburgh Tribune Review, June 12, 2009

Workers say recycler dumped monitors. Electronics collected in free campaign not properly handled. Pittsburgh Post Gazette, June 12, 2009

Humane Groups Think They've Been Duped. Charities say recycling firm put hold on $10,000 checks. Pittsburgh Post Gazette, June 3, 2009

Electronics Collected Here Impounded in South Africa, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, June 2, 2009