Redemtech Key to Evolving Electronic Recycler’s Pledge into Broader Initiative

Anyone who remembers the scene in the popular movie Animal House where evil frat boy Douglas Neidermeyer spittingly shouts at poor Delta House fraternity pledge Flounder for wearing a pledge pin on his ROTC uniform can relate to the importance of defending one’s self against seemingly insurmountable bullies. A pledge stands for more than a mere collection of words; it represents a strong viewpoint and a commitment that can change the world.

The Basel Action Network and the Electronics TakeBack Coalition recently enhanced their long-established Electronic Recycler’s Pledge of True Stewardship with the announcement of an e-Stewards program, designed to identify and recognize the most responsible electronics recyclers in North America. The program will be highlighted by e-Steward Certification, North America’s first independently audited and accredited electronic waste recycler certification program. The certification will forbid the dumping of toxic e-waste in developing countries, local landfills and incinerators; the use of prison labor to process e-waste; and the unauthorized release of private data contained in discarded computers.

While the Pledge remains part of the established honor-based system that originated with BAN and the Coalition in 2002, the Certified e-Stewards standard will replace the pledge in industry vocabulary. In addition to e-Stewards Certification, an e-Stewards Initiative will encompass other programs, including e-Stewards Enterprises, consisting of those companies that sign on via a signature on the e-Stewards Enterprise Commitment; and e-Stewards Founders, including companies such as Redemtech that have made a substantial financial donation to contribute to the development of the e-Stewards Initiative.

It remains unfortunate that most of the companies that call themselves electronics “recyclers” are actually fraudulent operations; true bullies of the industry that harm the e-waste management efforts of legitimate companies. These fraudulent recyclers load containers of old computers and other electronics, mark them as scrap and export them to developing countries. Other heavy-handed recyclers dispose of e-waste by landfilling or using prison laborers to process toxic materials found in most electronics equipment.

“The e-Stewards project is a response to the failure of government and industry to act as responsible global citizens in the age of information technology,” said Jim Puckett, BAN executive director. “It is also a wonderful example of how industry leaders and activists can move mountains when they work together — in this case, move mountains of e-waste to truly responsible recyclers.”

The e-Stewards program already includes 32 companies in 92 locations that have been qualified by BAN. By 2010, the program will feature an ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) certification system with third-party auditing. The accredited certifying bodies will independently assure conformity to revised e-Stewards Standard, thus providing the highest level of assurance that they meet the world’s most responsible environmental and social justice criteria for electronics recyclers. These criteria include no toxic e-waste dumped in landfills or incinerators, exported to developing countries, or sent to prison labor operations and no release of private data. The funding to create this robust certification program was provided by the 14 recycling companies designated as e-Steward Founders.

BAN also has released a video that highlights efforts by reputable electronics recyclers like Redemtech to combat the severe environmental damage inflicted by illegal imports of e-waste by disreputable vendors. The BAN video depicts some deplorable scenes wrought by e-waste dumping and the subsequent industry that sprung up in Asia where indigent workers disassemble electronics despite the health and environmental impact of handling toxic materials. The new BAN video is currently viewable on Redemtech’s website.

To discover more about the e-Stewards program, visit the e-Stewards website.