Fresh Basel Convention Proposals to Impact E-Waste Exports
E-waste Recycling | 2021-06-25 13:09:00
The U.S. trade with OECD parties would not be possible prior to having a clear definition and consistency about what is waste and what is not waste.
By Paul Ploumis
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The new proposals to the Basel Convention with regards to transboundary movement of electronic scrap are feared to impact U.S. exports of end-of-life electronics. The meeting to be held end-July will decide on the proposals.
Countries such as Switzerland and Ghana have submitted a proposal that seeks to control all materials irrespective of whether they are hazardous or non-hazardous. If approved, the proposal will have significant impacts. It must be noted that non-hazardous end-of-life electronics are not currently controlled by the Convention.
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The approval would mean that all of the electronics would require prior consent before exports, which in turn will cause extra administrative burden not only for exporters, but also for governments of countries involved in the export trade.
As U.S. is a non-party to the Basel Convention, the parties may not trade controlled items with it, unless there is a separate arrangement. The U.S. trade with OECD parties would not be possible prior to having a clear definition and consistency about what is waste and what is not waste.
The proposals, if accepted, would require inclusion of “R20” on shipping document, in the case of products transported to other countries for repair or refurbishment. This could prompt many countries to apply waste import and export controls on such shipments, said Adina Reenee Adler, Vice President of Advocacy, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI).
