1. Why Responsible Recycling is Good Business
Workshop on E-waste Recycling and Refurbishing: Environmentally Sound Management Practices
Perspectives on key drivers for implementing ESM
Why Responsible Recycling is Good Business
Barbara Kyle
Electronics TakeBack Coalition
Guadalajara, Mexico February 15–16

2. Topics E-waste recycling challenges
What happens when e-waste isn’t managed responsibly
Why ESM is good business for recyclers
Recycler certification

3. About the Electronics TakeBack Coalition
Who We Are: National coalition of environmental and consumer organizations working on electronic waste issues
What We Do: We promote green design and responsible recycling in the electronics industry
Promote state and federal legislation
Public pressure on the industry to create and improve TakeBack and recycling programs
Promote “green purchasing” guidelines and efforts with institutional buyers
Expose problems with recyclers, such as exporting e-waste
Promote responsible recyclers

4. Electronic Waste is Toxic Waste
Toxics in electronics
Lead
Mercury
Brominated Flame Retardants
Cadmium
PVC
Arsenic

5. Toxics In, Toxics Out Toxics in e-waste can harm workers & communities
Toxics make it harder to recycle e-waste (more expensive to do it safely)
Many “recyclers” choose to export e-waste to developing countries instead of paying to manage them safely
Processing should occur only where there is adequate infrastructure to manage the toxics.

6. Where does our e-waste go?

7. 50 to 100 containers of e-waste arrive in Hong Kong daily

8. Guiyu, China

10. Object of the presentation

11. Lagos, Nigeria

13. Accra, Ghana

14. Accra, Ghana

15. Key Question: Who pays?
There is always a cost for handling toxic e-waste
Who will pay for it?
Option 1: We “externalize” the costs onto the workers and communities in developing countries – with cheap labor and weak laws

16. The word is out on e-waste dumping
Following The Trail Of Toxic E-Waste
60 Minutes Follows America's Toxic Electronic Waste As It Is Illegally Shipped To Become China's Dirty Secret
Ghana:
Digital Dumping Ground

17. Key Question: Who Pays?
Option 2: Customers who BUY and USE the products pay for responsible recycling
Cost is included in the price of the product = Cost Internalization (not an added fee)

18. Will the customer pay for responsible recycling?
Producer Responsibility - The manufacturer adds the cost of recycling into the price, and then takes back its products when customers are done with them. - The manufacturer recycles RESPONSIBLY
In the U.S., and Canada, we are passing state/provincial laws requiring producer responsibility for e-waste (mostly for consumer products)

19. Manufacturers want responsible recycling

20. Samsung: “We've partnered directly with respected take-back and recycling companies that do not incinerate, send to solid waste landfill, or export toxic waste (defined in a manner consistent with the commonly accepted definition of hazardous electronic waste) to developing countries.” Link
SONY: “Sony will continue to conduct electronics recycling programs transparently and in accord with rigorous environmental and worker safety standards. Additionally, we will adhere to measures to prevent the export of hazardous e-waste to developing countries and support the development of federal legislation to ban the illegal export of hazardous electronic waste to developing nations.” Link
Apple: “Nothing is shipped overseas for recycling or disposal. Our recyclers must comply with all applicable health and safety laws, and Apple does not allow the use of prison labor at any stage of the recycling process. Nor do we allow the disposal of hazardous electronic waste in solid-waste landfills or incinerators.” Link

21. Corporate customers want responsible recycling
In the U.S., corporations are increasingly concerned about what happens to their old electronics
Legal liability and privacy concerns about data on hard drives
Concerns about their old products causing harm in communities around the globe
Corporations require ESM language in contracts with recyclers

22. Voluntary Standards and ESM
Why voluntary recycling standards and certification?
Standards cover areas ignored by the laws – such as worker protections, export (in USA)
Certification to high standards makes it easy for customers to know a recycler is following ESM practices
Certification shows compliance with laws (especially where enforcement is not strong)
Certification is a visible label (not just legal compliance)

23. Certifications Show Green Matters
Certified Fair Trade in 2007 topped $2.5 billion in sales, providing wide benefits to more than 1 million farm families; growing at 40% per year.
FSC-certified forests now top 300 million acres worldwide, more than 10% of the world’s working forests, growing at 25% per year
MSC-certified fisheries now cover 70% of ocean-caught salmon (not farmed!) and 26% of whitefish, more requests for fishery certification than they can handle… driven by Wal-Mart & McDonald’s, among others

24. The type of certification matters
“Only credible certification is 3rd party, independent, with explicit social and environmental NGO support.” - Michael Conroy, expert on certifications

25. E-Stewards Certification Program
Highest standard in the industry
Compliant with Basel Convention and Basel Ban Amendment
All facilities must be certified

26. Features of e-Steward Certification
Currently available in 41 countries (EU, OECD, EFTA) countries
Requires and incorporates ISO 14001
Utilizes Accredited 3rd Party Certifying Bodies to Conduct Audits
Comprehensive: data security, occupational exposure, downstream due diligence, reuse, etc.

27. Companies committed to using certified e-Stewards
E-Stewards “Enterprise” companies

28. How was the e-Stewards Standard developed?
The e-Stewards® Standard is the result of collaboration between:
The environmental community
Electronics recyclers
Auditors
Occupational health experts
Information security experts
The accredited certification industry

29. Summary
Customers are demanding responsible recycling, even if the laws are not - Corporations - Manufacturers, who are taking back their products - Consumers bringing back their old products
Media is exposing e-waste export problems
Expect more regulation, enforcement of regulations
Certification is the proof that customers want to see

30. Contact Electronics TakeBack Coalition www.electronicstakeback.com
Barbara Kyle
e-Stewards