The Basel Convention is an international treaty aimed at minimizing the amount of hazardous waste moved between countries. Specifically it addresses waste moving from affluent, developed countries to less developed countries. It also incorporates the reduction of hazardous waste, calls for waste to be managed as close to the source as possible and assists less developed countries with sound hazardous waste management.
The Basel Ban
Although the Basel Ban is not yet enforced it is an amendment that was adopted by the Basel Convention roughly 6 years after its inception. The Ban came about because the Convention only specified notification for shipping hazardous waste and did not effectively prohibited waste exporting. There was also speculation that waste would be categorized as “recyclable material” which was not prohibited by the Convention. Many developing countries were dissatisfied with these measures and felt a ban was needed to truly protect their interests.
Properly recycling outdated and unwanted electronics prevents illegal exportation of e waste. For more information about EDT’s process contact us at 402-898-5000. To learn more about the Convention and the Ban go to the Basel Convention home page.
