Green Groups Urge Export Ban of Federal Government E-Waste to Developing Countries

Environmental groups are seeking to ratchet up pressure on an interagency task force on federal government electronics stewardship to devise policies to prohibit the export of e-waste to developing countries. The White House in November set up the task force, made up of officials from the Council on Environmental Quality, the General Service Administration and the EPA to develop a “national strategy” for “responsible electronics stewardship,” including improvements to federal procedures for managing used electronics.

The Electronics TakeBack Coalition began a campaign Tuesday urging its supporters to submit comments to the task force to “do the right thing and make sure federal government waste won’t be exported to developing countries.” E-waste exports to developing countries have “already caused great harm to workers and communities, poisoned by the toxics inside” electronic products, the coalition said. The federal government, one of the largest purchasers of electronics, should “lead by example” and adopt a policy that “clearly states that no U.S. government owned e-waste will be exported to developing countries,” it said. Used products meant for reuse should only be “exported if they are tested and fully functional, to make sure they are not just dumped in those countries,” the coalition said.

The White House directive to the task force was to develop policies that ensure that hazardous e-waste collected for recycling is not exported to developing countries that “lack the capacity to manage the recovery and disposal of these products in ways that safeguard human health and the environment.” That gives the impression that “they are going to set the bar much lower than not exporting stuff,” Barbara Kyle, national coordinator of the coalition, told us. “It seems like they are falling for the whole concept of it’s fine to send it to these mythical facilities in developing countries, where it will be managed just fine.” It would be “incredibly disappointing” if the U.S. government allows e-waste exports to developing countries, she said.

The task force is taking stakeholder comments via the EPA until Friday, it said in a notice in the Federal Register. It’s scheduled to deliver to the Council on Environmental Quality by May 8 “a national framework for electronics stewardship,” it said.