Independent research by Arizona State University showed that 87–88% of imported used computers did not have a higher value than the best value of the constituent materials they contained, and that "the official trade in end-of-life computers is thus driven by reuse as opposed to recycling"."

Meta-Actor: Not-for-Profit

Source Document: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_waste

Date: Unknown

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"Dirty Lies

You see, the economics of “ewaste” exporting has never, ever supported the Watchdog’s claim that “80%” of used electronics exports are unwanted junk. They claim that the low cost of disposal pays for sea container trips across the ocean. There is definitely validity to the claim that environmental standards are lax, as they are for mining (the only opposite of recycling). But that does not create an incentive for poor people to pool their money to buy crap.”

Meta-Actor: Journalism

Source Document: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reprint-from-motherboard-2011-why-we-should-ship-our-waste-robin?forceNoSplash=true

Date: December 1, 2015

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"According to EPA estimates, in 2005, 61% of CRTs collected for recycling were refurbished or remanufactured into new televisions abroad. Also, a study specific to exports to Peru found that 85% of used personal computers (PCs) imported by Peru were reused rather than recycled. The study concluded that decisions regarding the end-of-life management of computers were driven by reuse as opposed to recycling."

Meta-Actor: Government

Source Document: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40850.pdf

Date: September 27, 2010

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Lepawsky challenges UNEP’s premise in its May report that the key driver for illegal e-waste shipments “is the profit generated from payments for safe disposal of waste that in reality is either dumped or unsafely recycled”. For this to be the case, he says, there would have to be instances of Ghanaians receiving payment specifically for receiving and disposing of imported e-waste. Yet, to his knowledge, this has never happened.” 

Meta-Actor: Journalism

Source Document: http://www.scidev.net/global/digital-divide/multimedia/electronic-waste-dump-supplies-ghana.html

Date: October 5, 2015