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Courtesy of Recycling Resources- An international meeting organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Secretariats to the Basel and Stockholm Conventions recently concluded in Vienna, Austria, emerging with recommendations to limit the use of hazardous substances in the design and manufacturing of electronics.
Highlights from the meeting include a call for the elimination of hazardous chemicals and substances in product design, the safety and protection of workers at electronics assembly plants and preventing the export of electronic waste. Representatives presenting on electronic waste issues included the Japanese organization Global Strategies, Shantou University Medical College in China and the Seattle-based Basel Action Network.
The recommendations are somewhat similar to the European Union's RoHS Directive in that they address hazardous electronic waste by seeking to remove the offending materials during a product's manufacture.
While currently non-binding, the recommendations will be introduced for consideration at upcoming meetings of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management, which aims to establish a global policy framework for hazardous materials management by 2020. SAICM agreements are referenced by countries drafting rules on the management of waste within their borders.
"Global agreements and recommendations are especially important in developing countries. Developed countries have resources and infrastructure to establish regulatory policies on chemicals and wastes and the drivers for doing it are often internal to the country," explains Joe DiGangi, senior science and technical advisor for the International POPs Elimination Network. "In contrast, global recommendations and policies on chemicals and wastes are often much more significant in establishing national policies and authorities in developing and transition countries that lack adequate infrastructure and resources. It will be interesting to see how countries react to the Vienna recommendations in terms of actually developing, strengthening and enforcing laws on chemicals and wastes."
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