The Entrepreneur's Guide to Computer Recycling - e-Waste. This ...

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Entrepreneur’s Guide to Computer RecyclingAINTRODUCTION | INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONSFor example, OECD members have completed an Article 11 Agreementthat governs hazardous waste classifications and notice and consentprocedures for shipments of waste for recycling among OECD states.Governments are obligated to ensure that waste shipments only proceedwhere the wastes can be managed in an “environmentally sound manner”in the countries of import.Waste trafficking is penalized and sanctions varyaccording to each party’s legislation.Basel Convention definition of wasteEnd-of-use electronic equipment that meets the Basel Convention’s definitionsfor “waste” and “hazardous waste” would be subject to importand export controls and shipment prohibitions under the Convention.The Basel Convention defines wastes broadly as substances or objectswhich are disposed of or are intended to be disposed of or are requiredto be disposed of by the provisions of national law». The Conventionthen defines disposal by reference to lists of disposal operations, such aslandfill or incineration, including recycling operations. Repair of computerequipment, however, is not a listed operation, and so computer equipmentthat is truly intended to be repaired is not defined as waste.Basel Convention hazardous wastesEquipment classified as waste that is derived from waste streams orcontains a constituent listed in Annex I of the Convention (e.g. lead,cadmium, mercury, beryllium) is presumed to be hazardous, unless it canbe demonstrated that the waste does not possess any hazardous characteristicsprovided under Annex III. The Basel Convention does not provideany guidance on the development of testing protocols, leaving their designand implementation to national governments. However, for specific wastestreams technical guidelines have been adopted for implementation byParties.6The Convention provides further classification guidance on the classificationof electronic equipment. Under Annex VIII the following wastesare categorized as hazardous wastes when they contain Annex IIIcharacteristics:
Volume 1: Basics for starting up a computer recycling business(i) A1180, waste electrical and electronic assemblies and scrap (“e-scrap”)are presumed to be hazardous if they contain one or more of the followingcomponents: batteries listed under Annex VIII; mercury switches; CRTglass; other activated glass and PCB capacitors; and any additionalcomponent that contains an Annex I constituent;(ii) A1150 - precious metal ash from incineration of printed circuit boardsnot included in Annex IX;(iii) A1170 - waste batteries not specified on Annex IX that contain Annex Iconstituents to an extent to render them hazardous; (A1190: waste metalcables coated or insulated with plastics containing or contaminated withcoal tar, PCB, lead, cadmium, other organohalogen compounds or otherAnnex I constituents;(iiii) A2010 - glass waste from cathode-ray tubes and other activatedglass. Wastes defined as hazardous in domestic legislation (Article 1(1)(b) of exporting, importing or transit countries) are also covered by theConvention. Companies handling electronic waste should be mindfulof national legislation implementing the Basel Convention to ensurecompliance with applicable country requirements.AINTRODUCTION | INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONSOther regulationsThe European directive 2002/196/EC related to the WEEE (WasteElectronic and Electrical Equipment) published in January 2003 signaleda first step in the political management of used computer equipment. Thisdirective defines the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)concerning the collection of WEEE, the systematic treatment of hazardousparts, the recovery of all the WEEE collected, with priority given to reuseand recycling, and also to eco-design. In countries with EPR laws likethe EU, some US states and Japan, electronics manufacturers are financiallyresponsible for dealing with the waste from their products, meetingcollection and recycling targets and other obligations. However, EPR onlyapplies to domestically generated wastes.Some developing countries are also starting to establish their own policiesin order to ensure the quality of inbound shipments of used e-equipment.For instance, in August 2007, China adopted a bill on the “Circular7
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The purpose of this guidebookis to
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