Waste Industry Leaders Discuss Basel E-Plastics Compliance 

Leaders in e-scrap certification organizations, SERI, which administers the R2 standard, and e-Stewards believe the new Basel rules on e-plastics present challenges and opportunities. According to E-Scrap News, there is potential wide-scale non-compliance with the new Basel amendments. 

New amendments to the Basel Convention went into effect in January 2021, marking the beginning of trade control in mixed and contaminated plastic wastes for the first time. The new rules mean trade in mixed and contaminated materials is now subject to government notification, consent before exportation, and confirmation from authorities of both countries that the recycling operations were environmentally sound. 

As leading compliance standards, R2 and e-Stewards have each played a significant role in sustainable electronics. They serve as a differentiator between compliant ITAD vendors and those who do not practice the environmental policies they preach. 

The Basel changes include trade restrictions on countries not party to the Basel Convention. This cast a spotlight onto those already in compliance, as well as a large portion of non-compliant countries who may be shirking the legal responsibility of turning away mixed and contaminated waste from the U.S., from which much of the e-plastic flows. There is also concern that these non-compliant countries, including Malaysia, may fail to maintain environmentally sound operations for all fractions of mixed plastics in their recycling facilities. 

As industry leaders in certification standards, R2 and e-Stewards believe the new Basel rules present challenges and opportunities. The two also believe recycling standards have not changed, only international law that may further isolate American recyclers, especially after similar Basel amendments controlling non-hazardous e-waste go into effect in 2025. 

SERI and e-Stewards believe the answer is to move towards more comprehensive solutions to facilitate proper legal and ESM recycling globally.