Electronics Recyclers Pledge to Follow New Criteria

Fifteen private electronics recycling firms representing 21 facilities throughout North America announced have joined forces with environmental organizations and agreed to uphold the world's most rigorous environmental and social criteria for the dismantling and recycling of electronic wastes. 

The criteria are contained in the Electronic Recycler's Pledge of True Stewardship that was developed in conjunction with members of the Computer TakeBack Campaign, including the Basel Action Network, and the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition.  

We are frustrated by the failure of the federal government and electronics manufacturers to move quickly enough to create a truly environmentally sound recycling program to deal with the current e-waste crisis," said Bobby Farris, Environmental Service Manager of Resource Concepts Inc., Carrollton, Tex.,  one of the companies pledging to uphold the ERPTS. "Together with some key environmental organizations we voluntarily agreed to meet a stringent standard of operation that sets a high bar for responsible recycling."

Under the Banner of  "No Export, No Dumping, No Prisons" the signatory companies have all agreed, among other requirements, to:

Prevent hazardous e-waste from going to municipal incinerators or landfills;

Prevent the export of hazardous e-waste to developing countries;

Use free-market rather than prison labor to dismantle or recycle e-waste.

"We firmly believe there is a large market of consumers out there, both institutional as well as individual, who want to ensure that their old computer doesn't wind up in the local landfill or in a rice paddy in China," said David Wood of GrassRoots Recycling Network.

The founding companies upholding the pledge are: