E-Waste, Government Export Policy, and the Dumping of the Developing World

Disclaimer: I apologize that this is late. I forgot that these were due by Saturday night/Sunday morning. I will accept a lower score if necessary.

Dumping our e-waste on rural areas in developing countries is a practice that is controversial and challenging to reverse. The primary reason that the issue is not more widely discussed is because not many people really know about what's going on. When was the last time you heard someone talking about US Export Policy to China, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Eastern Europe and Africa? If you ask the average American, they could tell you very little about the so-called 'third-world,' and probably even less about what happens to their electronic equipment after they dispose of it. Jim Puckett, director of Basel Action Network, an environmental advocacy organization that tracks hazardous waste noted in a salon.com article, "exploiting low-wage countries as a dumping ground is winning the day" (qtd. by Elizabeth Grossman on salon.com). In addition to constituent ignorance to the problem, it is far too easy for American, Western European, and Japanese governments to ignore the problem.

While most of the EU supposedly has fairly strict electronic recycling and exporting policies, the United States leaves most of the electronic recycling to independent organizations that despite best efforts (in many but not all cases) sell to buyers who intentionally plan on stockpiling electronics in the developing world. Essentially, another major factor is lax national/international policy. If the US, EU, and Japan had better defined policies on what to do with their e-waste, the drastic environmental and health issues affecting the ecosystems of the 'dumpees' would not be as dramatic a problem.

I think the only thing I can and will actively due as a responsible consumer is dispose of electronics with organizations I know do their best to correctly recycle or reuse used electronics. One of the seemingly more legitimate organizations I would pursue is the Recycling Electronics and Asset Disposition (READ) Services, a US government-run portion of the Environmental Protection Agency. There are several other independent companies that sell or recycle used electronic equipment. Many of these companies are regional and sell to different parts of the world. My suggestion would be to look into what you're trying to get rid of and what condition it's in. Could some of it's components be reconfigured to be used by a school or non-profit? Also, notice the manufacturer, many companies offer responsible reuse/resell/recycle programs. I know Apple and Alltel engage in these programs, while Dell and several other computer manufacturers do not. Until these governments enact more strict policies, the most you can do is independent research into what you're buying, who you're buying from, and what will you do with this electronic when you're done with it? One of the safest things we can do currently is donate gently used equipment to people who need it most: schools, non-profits, prisons, etc.