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

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

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

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

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.

Where does our e-waste go?

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

Guiyu, China

Object of the presentation

Lagos, Nigeria

Accra, Ghana

Accra, Ghana

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

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

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)

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)

Manufacturers want responsible recycling

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Contact Electronics TakeBack Coalition www.electronicstakeback.com Barbara Kyle bkyle@etakeback.org e-Stewards www.e-stewards.org