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US tech waste polluting poor nations - NY Times |
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| USA: February 26, 2002 | ||
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NEW YORK - The global export of electronics waste, including consumer devices, computer monitors and circuit boards, is creating environmental and health problems in developing countries, the New York Times reported yesterday, citing a report by environmental organizations.
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The report, to be issued yesterday, says that 50 to 80 percent of electronics waste collected for recycling in the United States is placed on container ships and sent to China, India, Pakistan or other developing countries. It is then reused or recycled under largely unregulated conditions, often with toxic results, the Times said. The authors of the report argue that stricter environmental regulations in the developed world have caused a trend toward exporting hazardous materials to the poorest countries, where occupational and environmental protections are inadequate, the Times said. The European Union was moving toward requiring manufacturers to take cradle-to-grave responsibility for their products, particularly when they contain potentially hazardous materials, while the U.S. industry has resisted this approach, one expert told the Times.
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REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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