Canadian e-scrap recyclers drop lawsuit against BAN

The Canadian Electronics Recycling Association has dropped their lawsuit against the Basel Action Network, the organisation that looks to combat illegal scrap trade to Africa and Asia.

BAN, as part of its worldwide E-Trash Transparency Project, had reported that three GPS tracked electronic waste devices that were deposited at ERA’s sites in Canada went directly to Hong Kong and Pakistan.

‘Our GPS tracker programme has already resulted in numerous successful prosecutions and legislation around the globe,’ says Basel Action Network’s Jim Puckett. ‘The little gadgets have an unnerving habit of telling the unaware public the truth about the fate of their electronic waste delivered for recycling, when unscrupulous electronics recyclers will not.’

43 trackers placed

BAN’s October 2018 release of the Canadian report “Export of e-Waste from Canada: A story as told by GPS trackers” revealed that 43 trackers had been placed into old used electronic scrap printers, monitors and computers and dropped off at recycling facilities across Canada.

BAN discovered that 3 of the total 5 exports were exported by ERA. The report also highlighted ERA’s ‘long history of similar exports’ discovered by BAN in past years. As a result of this reporting, ERA filed a lawsuit against BAN and Jim Puckett on November 2, 2018, for ‘defamation and false advertising’. As reported, that lawsuit has now beebn dropped.