International Programs
CEC Projects on Electronics Waste
Waste from electronics (E-waste) is one of the fastest growing sources of waste in North America. Discarded and obsolete electronic devices contain lead, mercury, cadmium and other persistent and bioaccumulative toxics that, when improperly managed or disposed, pose threats to human health and the environment.
In dealing with improper and illegal exports of e-waste to other countries and regions, common challenges include:
- handling e-waste at ports of export/entry,
- coordinating between numerous agencies which may be responsible for the waste, and
- understanding and enforcing a complex set of regulations.
is currently implementing three projects related to e-waste:
Recycling metals and plastics within Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- Project Goal: To improve awareness and enhance capability of the private sector to implement environmentally sound management practices in e-waste, used electronics recycling, and refurbishing.
- Activity: The Enforcement Working Group of the CEC will organize a workshop on Environmentally Sound Management practices for small and medium enterprises that refurbish and recycle used and waste electronics in North America. The workshop will be held in February in Guadalajara, Mexico.
E-Waste Intelligence Sharing
- Project Goal: To establish a collaborative process between Canadian, U.S. and Mexican authorities to share intelligence concerning illegal and inappropriate importation/exportation of waste computers and cathode-ray tubes (CRTs).
- Activity: The Enforcement Working Group of the CEC will organize a meeting to review mechanisms for exchanging intelligence to strengthen enforcement of laws and regulations governing e-waste. This meeting will be held in February in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Trade Flows of Used Electronics
- Project Goal: To improve understanding of the trends of e-waste and used electronics coming into North America, and being exported to the rest of the world.
- Activity: Completion of an electronic system for exchanging information on the transport of hazardous wastes and hazardous recyclable materials in North America. A meeting will be held to discuss completion of this project in February in Guadalajara, Mexico. This project was begun in 2010 and will continue through 2011.
In a related project, EPA is supporting an effort with UN University's Solving the E-waste Problem (STEP) initiative to track the flows of e-waste, particularly from the US, and ultimaltely to build a central repository of information that tracks global flows of e-waste. This effort will coordinate closely with the CEC's project on the same topic. Learn more about other international projects on e-waste.
Back to: Commission for Environmental Cooperation
Contacts
For additional information on EPA's work with the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, contact:
Sylvia Correa
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of International and Tribal Affairs (2650R)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
E-mail: correa.sylvia@epa.gov
(202) 564-6443