Millions of tons of electronic waste from the United States are being shipped overseas, much of it to developing countries in Southeast Asia that are unprepared to safely manage the hazardous waste, according to a new environmental authority report.
The Seattle-based Basel Action Network, or BAN, said a two-year investigation found at least 10 U.S. companies exporting used electronics to Asia and the Middle East in what it calls a “hidden tsunami” of e-waste. “This new, almost invisible tsunami of e-waste is taking place… boosting the already lucrative margins of the electronics recycling sector while allowing a large portion of U.S. consumer and corporate IT equipment to be secretly exported and processed in harmful conditions in Southeast Asia,” the report said.
