Posts Tagged ‘e-waste’
Federal bill to ban the export of E-waste, suffers from a big loophole
August 17th, 2009 | 
Author: May 19, 2009
Earlier, I supported a US House Resolution to ban the export of toxic e-waste to developing countries. That resolution was turned into a bill by Rep Greene that I can now no longer support. I understand this bill will be introduced this Friday, May 22. I urge our legislators to NOT co-sponsor this legislation and instead ask Rep. Greene and the other co-authors to strengthen the bill to match the intent of the original resolution – to stop the dumping of toxic e-waste on developing countries not equipped to safely and sustainably handle this material.
The main issue I have with the bill is the last exception to the ban on exports of used electronic equipment or parts. It essentially creates a huge loophole that allows anyone who claims the e-waste they ship to developing countries is “intended” for repair and reuse. I know of many companies in the industry who ship equipment to China where it is clear there is no chance the majority of this equipment would actually get repaired and refurbished. Instead, it pollutes countries that are powerless to stop the tide of these toxins.
For full article, click here:
E-Waste: The Dirty Secret of Recycling Electronics
In Depth October 15, 2008, 7:39PM EST text size: TT
Lax rules and weak enforcement allow scrap companies to profit by sending junked computers, printers, and TVs overseas
Business is booming at Supreme Asset Management & Recovery, one of the nation’s largest recyclers of electronic waste. Inside a cavernous warehouse in the industrial section of Lakewood, N.J., workers in T-shirts grapple with newly arrived truckloads of old computer monitors, keyboards, printers, and TVs: tons of e-waste that contains dangerous lead, mercury, and cadmium. Such major manufacturers as Panasonic and JVC and municipalities like Baltimore County, Md., and Westchester County, N.Y., have paid Supreme to dispose of their digital detritus, relying on the company’s assurances that the work is done safely.
But as the e-waste industry proliferates—some 1,200 mostly tiny companies generated revenue of more than $3 billion last year—it has also become enmeshed in questionable practices that undercut its environmentally friendly image. Next year the volume of e-waste will probably surge. In February, U.S. consumers must switch from analog to digital television service, a move that is expected to result in the mass junking of analog TVs.
“No Accountability”
Seven former Supreme employees told BusinessWeek in interviews that they knew about the company selling large monitor shipments overseas. Despite the sales offerings on the Internet and the accounts of its former employees, Supreme says flatly that it “is not an exporter” of e-waste. The phrasing of its statement leaves open the possibility that others export the materials. But Supreme adds that to its knowledge, all of its buyers behave lawfully.
(page 2 of 2)
Varkonyi, 63, describes himself as a middleman for recyclers who, he says, want to tell their corporate and municipal clients that they don’t export PCs or other potentially hazardous gear: “I buy stuff from other recyclers who then claim that they do not export anything.” Varkonyi won’t name his customers.
Business is booming at Supreme Asset Management & Recovery, one of the nation’s largest recyclers of electronic waste. Inside a cavernous warehouse in the industrial section of Lakewood, N.J., workers in T-shirts grapple with newly arrived truckloads of old computer monitors, keyboards, printers, and TVs: tons of e-waste that contains dangerous lead, mercury, and cadmium. Such major manufacturers as Panasonic and JVC and municipalities like Baltimore County, Md., and Westchester County, N.Y., have paid Supreme to dispose of their digital detritus, relying on the company’s assurances that the work is done safely.
But as the e-waste industry proliferates—some 1,200 mostly tiny companies generated revenue of more than $3 billion last year—it has also become enmeshed in questionable practices that undercut its environmentally friendly image. Next year the volume of e-waste will probably surge. In February, U.S. consumers must switch from analog to digital television service, a move that is expected to result in the mass junking of analog TVs.
For the full article, follow the link below.
Link:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_43/b4105000160974.htm
Don’t recycle ‘e-waste’ with haste, activists warn
By G. Jeffrey MacDonald, Special for USA TODAY
Consumers saddled with old cellphones, TVs and computers are flocking to electronics recycling events, which have sprung up in more than 1,000 communities over the past four years.
But don’t be fooled, activists warn. Items collected at free events are sometimes destined for salvage yards in developing nations, where toxins spill into the water, the air and the lungs of laborers paid a few dollars per day to extract materials.
“If nobody is paying (the collectors) to take this stuff, especially if they’re getting a lot of televisions, then they are very likely exporting because that’s how they make the economics work,” says Barbara Kyle, national coordinator of the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, a San Francisco-based advocacy group.
“E-waste,” or electronics trash, is piling up faster than ever, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Americans discarded 47 million computers in 2005, up from 20 million in 1998. Factor in other forms of electronics, and the nation now dumps between 300 million and 400 million electronic items per year, according to estimates from the EPA and the TakeBack Coalition.
To Read the FULL article, please click on the following,
Link: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/environment/2008-07-06-ewaste-recycling_N.htm
Be Green, the future is… Geep!
Be Green
The future is… Geep!
Sunday, Jun. 21, 2009 | 06:34 PM AT
E-waste or electronic waste is everywhere. And it isn’t pretty. It’s actually pretty toxic–what with all those plastic bits and heavy metals, etc. Of course, by now you know that when you want to get rid of your TV or computer, you must take it to an eco-centre, not throw it in the trash. You knew that, right?
But perhaps you didn’t know this:
A lot of our e-waste (and plastics and paper) is shipped off to China, where the “real” recycling takes place. It’s really nice of China to be taking in all our rubbish (although these days, with the falling price of commodities, they’re less and less interested in recycling stuff when the secondary markets are drying up). But let’s face it, China isn’t exactly a world leader in environmental or safety policy. Plus, there’s all that very un-green shipping back and forth.
Luckily, there are companies right here in Canada that are working quite hard to come up with a zero-landfill, local solution (and you’re a part of it!)
Welcome to Geep Ecosys.
Did you say “Geep”?
That’s pronounced “geep”… with a hard “g” like “Geeta” or “go”. Sounds funny, no? Actually, it’s an acronym that stands for Global Electric Electronic Processing. The way that VP Bruce Hartley explained it to me, if your item has a battery or a power cord, they can arrange its eco-friendly disposal for you.
What Geep does
* They take in used and broken electronics and break them down into “commodities” (plastics, metals like aluminum, gold, silver, mercury, cadmium, etc). Most of these commodities are then resold for use in other electronics.
* They refurbish stuff that still has some life left in it. This could be your sewing machine, your Gameboy, your modem or the laptop that you swapped for something faster. And consumers rejoice, because you can go to the Geep showroom in Dorval and actually purchase these refurbished products at a fraction of the cost of a brand new thingummy.
* They aren’t kidding when they say they recycle EVERYTHING with a power cord or battery port. This means your TV remote, your iPod (although Apple offers a rebate on a new toy if you bring your old one in), your blender and also computers, MRI machines, professional scanners, etc. Everything!
* They have a great social program where they partner with Réseau québécois de CFER, a program that provides vocational training and social reintegration opportunities to marginalized youth. CFER partners with companies like Bureau en Gros (where you could bring in your printer for recycling, let’s say). Then workers at CFER dismantle the machines and Geep either buys the commodities off them or provides internships and jobs to CFER graduates.
What’s in it for you?
* Make some money: If you work for a company that often has large amounts of e-waste that’s still functional, Geep will actually pay you a fair market value for your stuff. They’ll then refurbish it and sell it and thus prolong its life. This helps you offset the costs of buying new equipment while keeping your eco-karma sparkling clean!
* Buy refurbished By buying electronics secondhand at Geep, you can save hundreds of dollars while constantly staying on top of the market!
The catch
For the moment, Geep does have to charge you a small fee (it’s usually under $15) to recycle your ewaste. This will be phased out when the government introduces a “recycle tax” (like the one we pay on tires). This is where consumers pay a small premium on their brand new toys to cover the eventual cost of disposing them off safely. Until that tax comes into effect, Geep does charge a little fee. On the bright side, if you buy a refurbished product, the fee is usually waived!
Posted in Computer Recycling | 
Tags: computer, e-waste, eco-centre, eco-friendly, electronic waste, TV | 
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(CBC) On Be Green, a Montreal company (GEEP) helps recycle high-tech items
Sunday, June 21st 2009
E-waste or electronic waste is everywhere. And it isn’t pretty. It’s actually pretty toxic–what with all those plastic bits and heavy metals, etc. Of course, by now you know that when you want to get rid of your TV or computer, you must take it to an eco-centre, not throw it in the trash. You knew that, right?
Source: cbc.ca
