Responsible Phone Recycling
From: Scott Jackson (sjackzen46gmail.com)
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2014 18:14:13 -0800 (PST)
For those who think the answer to the serious economic/environmental
justice question raised at the PolyMet hearing (about mining in the
developing world where child labor is often used and a moonscape is left
behind after the mining company digs out all it can) is a simple, smug
"recycle copper" - and for those who know better - here's an excellent link
from Ensia. (One reason the response is inadequate is because recycled
copper in a perfect world would only meet at most 25% of world demand [far
less is actually recycled], and we are the largest driver of that demand in
this imperfect world.)

The reason why the justice question is less compelling than it would
otherwise be is because the PolyMet mining proponents who raise it do so
cynically: by and large they are uninterested in economic/environmental
justice. The reason why it is more compelling than it would otherwise be is
because the First-world, white-led environmental/climate movement has all
too often failed to demonstrate a commitment to justice by its actions,
even though it may mouth the right words. There's a difference that I hope
some people in MUUSJA/CCC recognize.

Scott Jackson
sjackzen46 [at] gmail.com

 [image: Post thumbnail]
Responsible Recycling

More than 1.8 billion phones were
sold<http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2623415>around the world in
2013, according to the research firm Gartner -- a 3.4
percent increase over the previous year. Along with all those phones comes
an abundance of toxic e-waste that's often shipped to developing countries
and ends up harming both people and the environment. Which is why the Basel
Action Network's e-Stewards Initiative
<http://www.e-stewards.org/about/>might be more important now than
ever. An accredited third-party
certification program, e-Stewards allows both electronics producers and
consumers to identify recyclers that abide by a strict set of guidelines,
such as keeping hazardous e-waste out of landfills and restricting the use
of child labor or sweatshops. A complete list of companies and recyclers
participating in the program can be found on the
e-Stewards<http://www.e-stewards.org/>website. Photo by
JonJon2k8 <https://www.flickr.com/photos/jonjon_2k8/340305918/sizes/o/>(Creative
Commons | Flickr)-- February 19, 2014
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