www.dell.com
Dell has announced a move banning non-working electronics from being exported to developing countries - that may well force rival manufacturers to follow its lead. It is the first major computer manufacturer in the US to institute such a ban.
The firm’s new global policy still allows working computers and computer components to be exported, but requires that all non-working parts remain in the country in which they were sold, for recycling or disposal.
Exporting non-functioning electronics -or e-waste - has been a problem in the US in particular, where there are few laws on the books controlling the handling of toxic e-waste. The US government has estimated that up to 80 percent of discarded electronics end up being sent to the developing world.
In developing countries, waste electronics are often burned openly, releasing highly-toxic chemicals into the environment, or they are dipped in acid baths so that precious metals re released. The acid baths are dangerous, and e-waste contains heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and mercury that require special handling.
Dell’s new policy exceeds Basel Convention requirements, which ban certain electronic waste from being exported based on chemical and material composition.
It is not clear how the computer manufacturer will enforce the new regulations.
www.dell.com
|
|
