Dell bans export of e-waste to developing countries
By Laura June 
posted May 13th 2009 12:06AM
posted May 13th 2009 12:06AM
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Well, isn't that a good idea.
Glad Dell is taking a big step in the problem. Unfortunately E-Wase is still a major problem. A lot of components have no methods of recycling. The Silicon for the IC's is essentially spent, and doesn't decompose in any matter through any time-scale through which humanity is still likley to exist. The PCBs, which are often stripped of gold and increasingly so copper are also highly toxic and tend to leech out laminates into the surrounding soil. It's really funny how this will very likely become our next Environmental Crisis. After we figure this one out, we'll realize it wasn't too smart to depend on solar photovoltaic for a good portion of our base-line energy...
Yes. Taking economic opportunity away from impoverished third world countries is a great idea. Now, instead of having the choice to pick through this stuff to mine the valuable parts in order earn money to feed themselves, they are left with no option but to starve. I mean, its not like these poor people are capable of making decisions on their own.
But dell is a manufacturer, why would they dump their new computers? Isn't it the government and such that collect old junk that then ship it to the 3rd world?
Well, they mean well. Like the "boycott coffee" people meant to help the farmers in the 1980s. This demands fair trade. As a former Peace Corps volunteer, former state ewaste regulator, and current electronics recycler, it pains me to see big accounts (like the whole state of California, and now Dell) try to "one-up" the EPA, Basel Convention, United Nations, etc. by bandwagoning their anti-reuse policy. It's like obsolescence in hindsight.
What pays for $5000+ transport fees overseas? The good repairable and working stuff in the container. The bad stuff is "toxics along for the ride". Here's a short video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldXFgSz0AFU which explains WR3A.org's approach.
And here is a recent NPR story on an individual in the "nameless faceless" international recycling community. Can't we improve Ms. Vicki's life more by trading with her women's recycling coop, rewarding them for improving work conditions, and sending them some good stuff? Do we really want to send her back to the copper mine?
just dump that e-waste into the sea. fish love it.
Back to the tried and true?
More like "Dell bans export of e-waste directly to developing countries". You can be certain that whomever they sell this stuff to will just sell it right on to developing countries. It's how capitalism works.
Thats exactly what I was just about to say. But if they were actually serious about this they would make sure the people they send it to didn't do this, but they most likely won't.
exactly.. while they might have made bans after getting caught red-handed.. no announcement of where it will actually go.
Er... RTFA?
Dell have THEIR OWN RECYLING company. i.e. It's not outsourced to another company.
Also, I believe that one of the requirements to the ratification of the Basel Convention (say that with a mouthfull of marshmellows!) is that the waste's transport path must be tracked by the original company, AND the OECD Alliance. Regardless of the company that does the transporting. So even if Dell used another company to get rid of their waste, they couldn't dump it in a developing nation without prior knowledge.
When you rail against capitalism, you just sound like a nut. Your argument was 10x more convincing without the Karl Marx sentence at the end.
It's helpful to remember that capitalism is the worst form of economics... except for all the others (think Churchill).
@CJ
Mmm... marshmallows...
+10 points for successfully introducing tasty snacks into an economics discussion!
Mike:
Who railed against capitalism? What Marxist statement?
I stated the reality of how this will work, I didn't pass any judgment on it. Any condemnation you read into it is in your own head.
CJ:
You should see the 60 Minutes article that lead to this. The companies that take the waste present fake certifications of where the goods are going. 60 Minutes traced back from e-waste in China to the company that took it in and asked the company where they send their e-waste. They sure as hell didn't say China, despite it ending up there.
Wow, READ THE FUCKING REPLY as well.
The OECD ALLIANCE, that is to say, the original DRAFTERS of the Basel Convention, keep track of ALL WASTE. You know the OECD right? That Non-profit organisation that is DEDICATED TO THE SAFE REMOVAL OF HAZARDOUS WASTE.
If you'd spent more time actually playing attention and not just trying to sound intelligent, you would have actually realised what I said.
Actually, that's just the Basel Convention. Look at me, I'm raging so hard I don't know what I'm saying.
That said, it's all there in my original post, RTFP
calm the fuck down you spaz. LS2 is right anyways.
But, but, Engadget! Doing things to protect the environment cost jobs for Americans! We shouldn't do anything to protect the environment or poor Joe Smith and his wife and children will starve! Won't you help him feed his children by condemning this obviously job-killing move by Dell?
/sarcasm :P
I know it's sarcasm, but how can anyone think that eco-friendliness costs jobs? There's jobs for scientists doing research on alternative energy, people who own and work in alternative energy plants, forest rangers, creating eco-friendly products, people who pick up recycling or people that work at recycling facilities, etc.
I don't know how you can equate green with less jobs.
Isn't there supposed to be a read link up there?
why not launch the e-waste into the sun?
Come up with a CHEAP, reliable launch vehicle and you'll be NASA's best friend. Right now the planning and cost of a single rocket launch is still quite high.
But if you can come up with something like that, you'll solve quite a few of humanity's problems. We could launch trash and convicted felons right into the sun.
Because the huge amount of energy required to get anything to orbit. It costs more than $200/lb to get something to orbit. Is trash really worth spending that much on?
Trash elevator to the moon then? We aren't using space for anything else, might as well dump our shit there.
They should compress it into dense projectiles, that way the army and weapon sellers can use it as bullets and grenade casings and nobody will complain it ends in the 3rd world.
Hey, then peopel in developing countries get free computers and isnt that worth it...?!?!1
on second thought the computers are probably stripped of everything worth a dam.n
I love all the cynics in the house. I feel like I'm an optimist.
obama-"hope"
to be quite honest, i think 3rd world countries have a right to decide about whether they want their people processing these things
its easy to look at videos like those and see how horrible those jobs can be. but rarely do people post videos of what the viable alternatives are for those people.
if anything, if we REALLY cared about those folks we would subsidize capital to recycle those computers safely for the people overseas
I wish Dell would make a e-book reader.
so thats where crt monitors go to die?
if we really want to stop e-waste, we just have to teach 3rd world countries how to install an operating system. 2/3 of the computers they get could probably run windows 7. itd be kind of like 1 laptop per child, but more like 1 recycled desktop per person.
Looters!
Dell got butthurt by Greenpeace and decided they didn't want to lose any market share? Big whoop. Change when forced to change isn't a good way to do things.
Well thats the real world. corporate are like that, they dont really care, they just want to make money even if you have to kill a baby.
only when their reputation gets damaged they will change otherwise its more loss. Apple use to be at the bottom of the report, but look now they changed it too,
So what will happen to computer part scavengers?
I just want to give a shout out to Dell for taking a step in the right direction. My my next laptop may just be an XPS, just to support the initiative ;)
i just right click on my Recycle Bin and choose "Empty Recycle Bin" to get rid of my e-waste
Tim you must be from the "1st world" as you guys like calling it. I happen to be from the 3rd world and happen to know how to install an O/S. I also happen to know numerous 3rd world guys who know much more about 1st world than your sorry @$$ does know about 3rd world...So dont you dare stereotype us cos you know zilch about us.
Kudos to Dell, however, go the extra mile and track the companies that deal/scavenge for parts from old used up computers. We need a green earth for our Kids sakes!
Right on Guru! As a former Peace Corps volunteer I observed that kids in Africa are smart, and a smart kid is more likely to become a repair/refurbish technician in a "developing" country. This is how Korea went from rice paddies to a major OECD manufacturer in two generations. I just worry that is the very thing "OEMs" are trying to stop (the white box market, or no-name manufacturers, are the fastest growing "brand" of PCs). http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/23/dell_sues_tigerdirect/
@Guru et al
Yes, the United States is wasteful. Yes, most of our waste is due to excessive packaging. Yes, we waste food, have corporations that exploit the natural environment and which are still fossil fuel based. On the other hand, in India, the people who know how to install an operating system are among a very limited class. There is still a great economic divide between those who have benefited from technology and the masses. China has the same state of affairs. My point is not to Defend the US or attack China and India but to point out that the problems of waste, pollution and exploitation of the poor is not limited to any one country or culture. Humans, as individuals, tend to operate out of their own best self interest. Corporations, whether they are religious corporations, industrial or government corporations tend to ignore the rights and needs of the individual. There are too many people on this planet. We have passed the point of no return. The only option is to buy as many gadgets as affordable on personal revolving credit and to live a life of epicurean delight with no concern for future generations.
Wrong there are not too many people on the planet the planet could support 10 or 20 times the current pop. if people lived more of a life where they don't want everything they see and lived within means
using third world countries as trash bins
uhh, when did China become a developing country? Does that make the USA third world?
http://www.agreenspan.org/mainsite/
Check out that site for E-waste information.
I work there.
Oops, here is the NPR Story http://marketplace.publicradio.org/segments/working/recycler.html on the life of a Mexican electronics recycler.
Score a point for Mike on capitalism. A few weeks earlier Dell sued Tiger Direct for selling factory refurbished Dell computers "undercutting sales". See: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/23/dell_sues_tigerdirect/ Obsolescence in Hindsight is the grandson of Planned Obsolescence.