“We recommend that any exemption provided for medical devices also be granted to ICT infrastructure systems, such as air traffic control systems, data centers, testing and measurement equipment, etc. Installed ICT capital equipment is very similar to major medical devices: both types of multi-million dollar equipment are often shipped for failure analysis, diagnostic testing, repair and/or refurbishment. It benefits the environment and is in the best interests of our government and corporate customers when major ICT manufacturers are able to transport these systems for proper evaluation and servicing or ship in replacement assemblies to extend the useful lifetime of these critical systems.”

From p. 6 of Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) response to Basel Secretariat. 2015. ‘Decision BC-12/5 | Technical Guidelines on Transboundary Movements of Electrical and Electronic Waste and Used Electrical and Electronic Equipment, in Particular Regarding the Distinction between Waste and Non-Waste under the Basel Convention’. http://www.basel.int/TheConvention/ConferenceoftheParties/Meetings/COP12/tabid/4248/mctl/ViewDetails/EventModID/8051/EventID/542/xmid/13027/Default.aspx