ERI warns of threats posed by Counterfeit Electronics

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): According to John Shegerian, Chairman, Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), the entry of counterfeit electronics from China into the US market poses serious threats. The standards of counterfeiting has advanced to such a level that it has become difficult to distinguish them from the branded parts, he added.

A recent report by the Senate Armed Services Committee had found that counterfeit electronic parts from China end up in defense systems in the US. The report had noted that e-waste shipped from the US and other parts of the world to China were being used to make counterfeit electronic parts. E-scrap companies and brokers who promise responsible recycling were found to illicitly ship huge volumes of broken computers to China. The study had revealed nearly 1,800 cases of suspected counterfeits in defense equipment including missile systems, helicopters and submarines.

Shegerian called for further tightening of country’s export policy so as to ensure that non-working electronic scrap are domestically recycled, thereby preventing them from landing in the hands of counterfeiters. Necessary amendments need to be carried out to the existing export policy in order to prevent exports of materials that may cause threat to national security. Responsible recycling of all unwanted electronics with in the US is crucial, added Shegerian.

Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), the world’s largest privately held recycler of electronic waste, is e-Stewards and R2 certified to de-manufacture and recycle every type of electronic waste in an environmentally friendly manner. ERI processes more than 275 million pounds of electronic waste annually at eight locations serving every zip code in the United States.