Frustrated with the lack of accountability in the computer recycling industry, Free Geek Vancouver, a community-run non-profit, has managed to qualify as an e-Steward by upholding the most rigourous international standard for social and environmental responsibility around -- the Electronic Recycler's Pledge of True Stewardship, designed by a global e-waste watchdog, the Basel Action Network (BAN). The founder of BAN and Free Geek representatives held a press conference today at their Vancouver facility.

 

Above: Jim Puckett (seated left) and Ifny Lachance address the press. Photo by David Repa.

 

"Most people are not aware that 50-80% of so called recyclers will export your old computer to countries like China where it will be managed in horrific nightmarish conditions, that are highly polluting and damaging to human health," said BAN's Jim Puckett. "The Canadian and US governments fail to properly control this toxic trade, and for that reason we created the e-Stewards initiative. It's not for the faint of heart. It's designed to be the most rigourous environmental and social justice criteria for electronics recycling in the world."

"It's hard for the public to know who to trust with their old computers-- this should help!" says Ifny Lachance, a coordinator at Free Geek Vancouver.

 

"This qualification means a lot to us because it can't be bought -- you have to earn it, you have to prove that you're not lying. Because it's so easy to abuse the system, we think all computer recyclers should be assumed guilty until they prove themselves innocent. That doesn't always make us popular with the competition," she continued.

 

Free Geek Vancouver is a nonprofit computer recycling and reuse centre, where the community can pitch in to help test, refurbish or dismantle unwanted computer equipment donated by the public. No experience is required, and volunteers receive free computers and workshops. FreeGeek supports its activities through a computer thrift store and recycling revenue.

Above: Volunteers dismantling computers destined for recycling at Free Geek. Photo by Ifny Lachance.

 

"Lots of folks are in desperate need of access to technology. So here is a perfect way to reduce waste; with a little know-how, our volunteers give unwanted computers a new life, and make them available to people and non-profits for free or very cheap," said David Repa, another coordinator at Free Geek. "This also reduces pollution from manufacturing of new computers, and gets everyone involved in being part of the solution, not the problem."

Electronic waste continues to be the most heavily traded toxic waste onthe planet. UN figures say 50 million tonnes of e-waste are generatedyearly. Canadians alone throw out 140,000 tons of equipment every year,the equivalent of about 5.6 million computers. Most of this materialthat is collected for "recycling" and "re-use" actually ends up dumped or burned in poor countries with few environmental or worker protections.

 

Left: This should not be called "re-use!" Electronic waste dumped in residential area just outside of Alaba market in Lagos, Nigeria. This e-waste is routinely burned here. Photo used with permission, © Basel Action Network. [More BAN photos here.]

 

Canada is a major illegal exporter of hazardous wastes, with smugglers and brokers outpacing enforcement officials. In 2006, during Canada's only enforcement effort to date, federal agencies seized 50 containers with 500,000 kg of ewaste at the Port of Vancouver; 27 Canadian companies settled out of court for about $2000 apiece; Ottawa still refuses to release their names. [read story]

Rather than loading your old computer onto a container ship for questionable destinations, Free Geek Vancouver contends that reuse is the highest form of recycling. The leftover material that must be scrapped stays almost entirely within Canada for processing, at facilities that verifiably do not export. A small amount of material is sent to other recyclers who can prove they abide by the Basel Convention. Free Geek itself takes the time to research recyclers before sending them anything, and expects them to be transparent as well.

 

A list of their recyclers is listed online for the public to see. Free Geek has always been open about their recyclers as a matter of course; additionally, their mailing list archive and meetings are open to the public. Part of the e-Steward qualification process involved BAN verifying that Free Geek Vancouver actually sends their materials to these recyclers as claimed.

 

"When we started, it was really hard to find recyclers who wanted to cooperate and put up with us; they're rare and it takes a lot of energy to find them and make sure they're for real. The work that BAN does with the e-Stewards program makes it easier for others to find the good guys," says Ifny.

 

"What have we learned? That secrecy and claims about 'trade secrets,' or even simple vagueness should set off warning bells -- not to mention that some recyclers just lie outright. You have to ask questions, dig deeper. Even re-use organisations can lie, saying they give the stuff to poor people or whatever, but everyone has to understand that no one is checking on them to see if it's true, or where they send their scrap. It should be mandatory for companies to provide names and bills of lading to a reputable third party, and to have real penalties for bad practices. It's harder for abuses to go on if we all try to watch out for each other, and share our resources."

 

[See the full list of e-Stewards!]

[See the list of Free Geek Vancouver's end-of-the-line recyclers]

[Read about the toxins in computer waste]

[How to donate computers to Free Geek]