TCE Electronic Waste Links

An international network of activists seeking to prevent the globalization of the toxic chemical crisis.

  Basel Action Network

Environmental Working Group tested umbilical cords for a variety of chemicals, including the toxic brominated fire retardants (BFRs) used in electronics. Researchers found an average of 200 chemicals used in industrial processes, including 32 of the 46 BFRs the group tested for.

  Body Burden - the Pollution in Newborns

Information on the policy of Extended Producer Responsibility and other strategies to make manufacturing processes less toxic.

  Clean Production Action

EWG documents high levels of toxic flame retardants in mothers milk across the country, including one sample from Texas.

  Environmental Working Group Mothers Milk Report

This February 2002 report and video exposed that much of the obsolete electronic taken to "dirty recycling" operations in China and India. This report documented that toxics from electronics were poisoning the air, water and land in developing countries.

  Exporting Harm: The High Tech Trashing of Asia Report

The Federal Bureau of Prisons conceded that its own staff and inmate workers in its computer recycling enterprises were exposed to harmful heavy metals above allowable safety limits.

  Federal Prisons Admit Toxic Exposure of Staff and Inmates

The following companies have signed the Electronic Recycler's Pledge of True Stewardship, the most rigorous criteria for sustainable and socially just electronics recycling.   Got E-Waste? Electronic Recyclers You Can Trust

Interview with "High Tech Trash" author Elizabeth Grossman on "10" a blog "for people who want to use technology to change the world.  Interview with "High Tech Trash" author Elizabeth Grossman

The web site for the National Computer Takeback Campaign  National Electronics Takeback Coalition

NERC's MISSION is to advance an environmentally sustainable economy by promoting source and toxicity reduction, recycling, and the purchasing of environmentally preferable products and services.  North East Recycling Council

Product Stewardship is an environmental management strategy that means whoever designs, produces, sells, or uses a product takes responsibility for minimizing the product's environmental impact throughout all stages of the products' life cycle. The greatest responsibility lies with whoever has the most ability to affect the lifecycle environmental impacts of the product. The mission of the Council is to integrate product stewardship principles into the policy and economic structures of the Pacific Northwest.  Northwest Product Stewardship Council

These photos of very unsafe handling of toxic electronic waste shocked the world.   Photos from Exporting Harm: The High Tech Trashing of Asia

Testing of food from Dallas supermarkets finds BFR Contamination.  Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Contamination of U.S. Food

Informative analyses of how the North American trash system developed and how producer takeback and zero waste strategies are critical for the future. Good comparative studies of successful Canadian producer takeback programs.  Product Policy Institute

The Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) is a national non-profit membership-based organization located in Boston, Massachusetts. PSI works with state and local government agencies to partner with manufacturers, retailers, environmental groups, federal agencies, and other key stakeholders to reduce the health and environmental impacts of consumer products. PSI takes a unique product stewardship approach to solving waste management problems by encouraging product design changes and mediating stakeholder dialogues.  Product Stewardship Institute

Report and photos from the report which exposed that many computers and other electronics supposedly bound for Africa for re-use are actually winding up in urban dumpsites which are often set afire. The dumps and fire send toxins into local communities.  The Digital Dump: Exporting Re-Use and Abuse to Africa