Inside the Fake PC Recycling Market

snydeq writes "OSNews' Howard Fosdick reports on the fake recycling market — one in which companies exploit cheap shipping, inexpensive labor, and a lack of safety and environmental law to export computers and other e-waste to China and Africa where it is 'recycled' with a complete lack of environmental and safety rules. 'This trade has become a thriving business. Companies called "fake recyclers" approach well-meaning organizations — charities, churches, and community organizations — and offer to hold a Recycling Day. The charity provides publicity, legitimacy, and a parking lot for the event. On the designated day, well-meaning residents drop off their old electronics for recycling. The fake recycler picks it up in their trucks, hauls it away for shipping, and makes money by exporting it to Chinese or African "recycling" centers. Nobody's the wiser,' Fosdick writes. Of course, the international community has, in fact, devised a set of rules to control e-waste disposal under the Basel Conventions, but the US — 'the international 'bad boy' of computer recycling — is one of four countries that have not ratified and do not adhere to these international agreements."

Comments

Meh

[sznupi]

Market will sort it out.

Re:Meh

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Shhh. Those are just a commie conspiracy to discredit the Free Market. Any failure by the real world to precisely replicate the predictions of an Econ 101 student with a B or better average is caused by government meddling and could be solved by cutting taxes.

Re:60 Minutes did this story in 2008 - pointer

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Was he also shocked! shocked! that gambling was occuring in his establishment?

Fake PCs?

[DWMorse]

Who recycles fake PCs? I've seen them at Ikea and other furniture stores, I suppose most of them ARE cardboard...

Re:Anonymous Coward

[Anonymous Coward]

...or call the African government with his complaint.

I'm sure the President of Africa will be very interested to hear this complaint.

...and of course

[Estanislao Mart�nez]

Lawrence Summers, back when he was chief economist for the World Bank, wrote and infamous memo where he said he'd "always thought that under-populated countries in Africa are vastly UNDER-polluted, their air quality is probably vastly inefficiently low compared to Los Angeles or Mexico City" (verbatim).

As his comments about gender and intelligence as President of Harvard demonstrate, the guy has a talent for sticking his foot in his mouth.

Re:Anonymous Coward

[h4rr4r]

He emailed me quite recently, so I know for a fact he a is pretty approachable and down to earth fellow. His English is not very good though.