Product Stewardship Policy Question: Which is worse, Mercury Recycling (required) or TV export for Repair (proposed to be prohibited)?
John Fialka's WSJ seminal reporting (2006) on the "mercury recycling" trade revealed that not all environmental laws result in environmental justice. There are some things that shouldn't be recycled. If recycling mercury from lamps and thermostats recovers mercury, and mercury has been eliminated as an ingredient in new products, here's what to expect:
A) mercury sales to primitive, toxic, conflict gold-mining operations in CongoDescription of where the mercury is sold, and how it is used:
B) billions of dollars of mercury recycling costs in the USA
The EU and USA responded by banning export of hg mercury as a commodity. The USA ban on exports begins in 2013. This is an export ban I really like, and Basel Secretariat should focus on this "recycling export" WAY more than it should focus on electively upgraded parts during used computer repair.While most of the gold is produced by major corporations, tens of thousands of people work independently in smaller, artisan operations, in some cases illegal. In Ghana, for instance, the galamseys are estimated to number 20,000 to 50,000.[7] In neighboring francophone countries, such workers are called orpailleurs. In Brazil, such workers are called garimpeiros.The high risk of such ventures was seen in the collapse of an illegal mine at Dompoase, Ashanti Region, Ghana, on 12 November 2009, when 18 workers were killed, including 13 women. Many women work at such mines as porters. It was the worst mining disaster in Ghanaian history.[7]In order to maximize gold extraction, mercury is often used to amalgamate with the metal. The gold is produced by boiling away the mercury from the amalgam, a hazardous process due to toxicity of mercury vapour. Mercury is effective in extracting very small gold particles, but should be reclaimed, instead, in an effective and safe process. (wikipedia 2010.12.09)
Alluvial mining is basically the ONLY market demand for the mercury. When it is banned... expect mercury recycling companies in the USA and Europe (like Veolia) to have a tough year.
