Basel Action Network
The Basel Action Network (BAN) is an non-governmental charitable organization working to combat the export of toxic waste, toxic technology and toxic products from industrialized societies to developing countries. BAN operates globally but is based in Seattle, Washington, United States, with a partner office in the Philippines. BAN is named after the Basel Convention, a United Nations treaty designed to control and prevent the dumping of toxic wastes, particularly on developing countries. BAN serves as a watchdog and promoter of the Basel Convention and its decisions.[1] The organization serves as a definitive source of electronic waste and trade information, an advocacy group for international policy concerning electronic trade, research and investigations of illegal ewaste exportation, and key player in various BAN campaigns.
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[edit] Campaigns
BAN runs three main campaigns, all of which are focused on decreasing the amount of toxins entering the surrounding environment. Many of the campaigns are focused on protecting underdeveloped countries from serving as a toxic dump of the developed countries of the world.
[edit] The e-Stewards Initiative
BAN's e-Stewards Electronics Stewardship campaign seeks to prevent toxic trade in hazardous electronic waste and includes a certification program for responsible electronics recycling known as the e-Stewards Initiative. It is available to electronics recyclers after they prove to have environmentally and socially responsible recycling techniques following audits conducted by accredited certifying bodies. [2] Recyclers can become e-Steward certified after proving that they follow all national and international laws concerning electronic waste and its proper disposal, which includes the ban of to exporting, land dumping, incineration, and use of prison labor. When the e-Stewards initiative was initially started with the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, it was called "The Electronics Recycler's Pledge of True Stewardship". In the beginning, the initiative verified a recycler's participation through "desk" and paper audits only. The e-Stewards certification, however, has been updated and requires compliance verification by a third party. [3]
Recent accusations[4] of extortion from within the e-waste industry have been brought up against the E-Stewards program, with claims that E-Stewards can operate as a means for companies to pay BAN, the industry's leading watchdog, thousands of dollars so they can be labeled as a "responsible" company, and that any company that fails to pay for the certification will be labeled as "fake" or "bad" by BAN, regardless of their actual operations and policies.
[edit] Green Ship Recycling
BAN has teamed up with several other non-governmental organizations(NGOs), including Greenpeace to form the NGO Platform on Shipbreaking. [5]The platform is focused on the responsible ship breaking disposal of end-of-life shipping vessels. The overall purpose of the platform is to stop the illegal dumping of toxic waste traveling from developed countries to undeveloped countries. [6] The platform is focused on finding more sustainable, environmentally and socially responsible disposal techniques of disposing of such wastes, which can be achieved through a system where the polluter will be responsible for paying any fees associated with the legal and safe disposal of ships and other marine vessels. The NGO platform endorses the principles outlined in the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.
[edit] Basel Convention and Basel Ban Implementation Campaign
BAN seeks the earliest ratification and adoption of the Basel Convention and the Basel Ban Amendment (Decision III/1, Basel), which bans the export of hazardous wastes from developed to developing countries.
[edit] Videos
BAN actively creates and publishes videos exposing the current ewaste problem.
The e-Stewards website hosts three different BAN films regarding the current ewaste problem and electronic waste disposal in developing countries.
Recently BAN's work has been featured on 60 Minutes in order to bring the ewaste problem into the limelight. [7]
[edit] See also
- Computer recycling
- Electronic waste in the United States
- Environmental issues in the United States
- e-Stewards
[edit] References
- ^ "About the Basel Action Network". http://ban.org/main/about_BAN.html. Retrieved 4 Nov. 2009.
- ^ "The e-Stewards Initiative: The e-Stewards Solution". Basel Action Network. http://www.e-stewards.org/esteward_solution.html. Retrieved 4 Nov. 2009.
- ^ "The e-Stewards Initiative: How to Become an e-Steward Recycler". Basel Action Network. http://www.e-stewards.org/esteward_recycler.html. Retrieved 04 Nov. 2009.
- ^ http://retroworks.blogspot.com/2012/01/e-waste-made-simple-logo-extortion.html
- ^ "NGO Platform On Shipbreaking: About Us". NGO Platform On Shipbreaking. http://www.shipbreakingplatform.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=53. Retrieved 04 Nov. 2009.
- ^ "NGO Platform On Shipbreaking: What We Do". NGO Platform On Shipbreaking. http://www.shipbreakingplatform.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=72. Retrieved 04 Nov. 2009.
- ^ "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", CBS News, 30 Aug. 2009, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/06/60minutes/main4579229.shtml, retrieved 04 Nov. 2009
[edit] Further references
- Metech Announces Support for BAN E-Stewards Program
- USA's trashed TVs, computer monitors can make toxic mess BAN Founder Jim Puckett expects much more e-waste will be exported from the U.S. once the broadcasting industry switches to digital signals on Feb. 17 and millions of households junk their old analog TV sets.
- Responsible Electronics Recyclers
- "After Dump, What Happens To Electronic Waste?", interview with Jim Puckett by Terry Gross, Fresh Air, NPR, December 21, 2010.
