The Basel Convention & Upcoming Restrictions
The Swiss-Ghana amendments to the Basel Convention take effect Jan. 1, 2025, and the ITAD industry is preparing for the significant obstacles it will present.
Adopted by the Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Basel, Switzerland, on March 22, 1989, The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal is an international treaty that controls the management and trade of waste worldwide. The Basel Convention was first implemented in 1992 to protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects of hazardous waste. In 2021, the Basel Convention published several proposed alterations to the convention itself that will dramatically change how some end-of-life exports are managed.
The Swiss-Ghana amendments passed in 2022 include reclassifying certain materials not previously classified as hazardous, subjecting them to the same shipment regulations as hazardous materials such as CRT glass or devices with batteries containing mercury, cadmium or lead. Changes also include expanding the definition of “waste” under the convention to include devices being prepared for reuse, which were not previously classified as waste according to the convention.
How the Restrictions will Affect the Industry
ITAD companies’ critical issues due to the Basel Convention include complex regulations, increased costs, shipment delays, and more. Due to the new language, large portions of the e-scrap products traditionally traded internationally as non-hazardous are now classified as hazardous. As a result of the Swiss-Ghana amendment, parties of the convention that want to trade these products will have to follow new procedures to document the movement of electronics destined for recycling and reuse. More importantly, parties of the convention, representing more than 180 countries worldwide, will not be able to trade with non-party countries. These changes will severely negatively impact electronics recycling in countries not currently party to the Basel Convention, including the United States.
U.S. Challenges Amid Change
The U.S. has not ratified the Basel Convention, which technically places it outside the direct reach of the Basel Amendment. However, this does not exempt American companies from its impact. U.S. companies will face stricter export controls when dealing with countries bound by the Basel Amendment.
With only a few short weeks left before the amendments go into effect, ITAD companies like HOBI are preparing for changes that will reshape the electronics recycling industry.