BAN Introduces Stricter Guideline to Curb Hazardous E-Waste Dumping

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Seattle-based watchdog organization Basel Action Network (BAN) announced publication of a new guideline aimed at protecting developing countries from e-waste dumping. The guideline titled “Responsible Guideline on Transboundary Movements of Used Electronic Equipment and Electronic Waste to Promote an Ethical Circular Economy under the Basel Convention” was released ahead of the 14^th Conference of the Parties to be held in Geneva April 28-May 9.

Jim Puckett, Executive Director, BAN noted that the official interim guideline, in effect currently, has lesser controls on e-waste dumping in developing countries. It departs from the purpose and intent of the Basel Convention. As a result, there has been a surge in dumping of hazardous electronic scrap, thereby causing harm to developing countries. Such efforts have caused severe damage to environmental stability.

According to BAN, the new guideline attempts to address the shortcomings of the official guideline, while allowing companies to do legitimate repairs in such a way that non-functional parts and irreparable items are not discarded in developing countries. It removes broken, hazardous electronic equipment from the waste definition. BAN urged all responsible governments and stakeholders to make use of its new guideline instead of the corrupt official one.