Responsible Recycling
The electronics recycling industry is plagued by phoney recyclers - those that rely on low-road practices for making a quick buck, like exporting to developing countries and using prison labor for processing, or simply dumping e-waste after taking out the most valuable parts.
Learn more about the problem of e-waste exporting, and prison recycling.
The Electronics TakeBack Coalition promotes responsible recycling by
- Exposing the problems caused by phoney recyclers, who use low road methods and undercut responsible companies
- Promoting responsible recyclers
- Pressuring the manufacturers (directly and via legslation) to provide free, responsible recycling of their old products
Find A Responsible Recycler
The Electronics TakeBack Coalition's partner group, the Basel Action Network (BAN) has a program that helps you find responsible recyclers, called e-Stewards. Find an e-Steward (takes you to the e-Steward website - click on the map there).
Pledge program. The e-Stewards program began as a voluntary agreement (the Recyclers Pledge of True Stewardship) that responsible recyclers would sign, agreeing to follow the highest standards in the industry including no export to developing nations, no use of prison recycling vendors, no incineration of e-waste, including "waste-to-energy" processes, and protections for workers from the hazards created in the recycling process.
Certified recyclers. In 2010, BAN launched a stronger program, whereby recyclers are certified to a new, rigorous e-Steward Standard, and then audited by accredited, third party auditors. This is the highest standard in the industry. Recyclers are starting to become certified under this new program, which has been endorsed by some major U.S. corporations.
Learn more about the e-Steward program
What Other Programs Help Us Find Responsible Recyclers?
That's the problem. There aren't any that address the biggest problems, like exporting to developing countries. You can easily find lists of electronics recyclers, on state and county websites, on the Consumer Electronics Association website, and elsewhere. But these lists don't "qualify" the recyclers, so they are full of exporters, because most recyclers are exporters.
Doesn't the EPA Certify Recyclers?
No, the EPA has no certification program for electronics recyclers (although many recyclers will tell you they are EPA certified!) The EPA did develop a set of voluntary standards for electronics recycling, called R2, which are very weak, and which still allow exporting to developing countries, use of prison labor, and incineration of e-waste. Soon, the Recyclers Industry association, which supports these low standards, will be certifying to the R2 standards.
Learn more about the R2 recycling standards.
The Manufacturers Offer Free TakeBack Programs
The Electronics TakeBack Coalition has been effective in pressuring computer and television companies to offer free, national takeback and recycling programs for consumers.
Click here for more information on the manufacturer takeback programs.
