BAN and Dell Join Hands to Launch New E-Waste Tracking Program

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The Seattle-based Basel Action Network (BAN) announced that it has partnered with Dell, Inc. to launch a new pilot project to track electronic waste flow. The new project will make use of GPS trackers to find out where the e-scrap goes, after being collected through Dell’s consumer takeback program. The collaboration was announced along with the release of Dell’s 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility Report.

The pilot project will employ the latest EarthEye service, due to be launched on Thursday June 21. As part of the pilot, Dell will send 40 electronic devices planted with BAN EarthEye Trackers into their US operations, Out of the above devices, Dell will deploy 30 into its customer collections stream. The remaining 10 devices will be deployed independently and randomly by BAN.

ALSO READ: ERI Calls For Increased Focus on Data Security

The launch of the pilot program stems from the findings of a report published by BAN in 2016, which had identified certain key issues related to Dell’s downstream waste management. Dell’s recycling services in partnership with Goodwill was cited for illegally exporting e-waste to developing countries, in violation of Dell’s e-waste export policy. The pilot aims to work together to solve the problems identified in that report, thereby bringing in more transparency to e-waste management.

Jim Puckett, executive director of BAN applauded Dell for deciding to work with BAN to mitigate downstream accountability issues. He invited all major corporations and institutions to follow suit, following the official public launch of EarthEye service.

A recent investigation by BAN carried out in Thailand using GPS trackers had revealed that huge quantities of scrap electronics were being sent from Europe to facilities in Thailand. This is on top of earlier studies which had revealed e-scrap flows from the US to a number of developing countries in Asia and Africa.