BASEL

ACTION

NETWORK
ARTICLE
SUMMARY

The proliferation of electronic

devices during the 1990s
created ahazardous waste
epidemic within the United
States. In 1997, a 501(c)3
charitable organization formed
to combat the growing public
health threat of hazardous
electronics waste pollution.
Over nearly 20 years,
Basel Action Network(BAN)
has emerged as the only
charitable organization that
provides electronic waste
information for scholars and
journalists. The organization
expanded its roles in
identifying polluters by
presenting information in
public forums, including on the
BAN website. On its website,
BAN recently disclosed news
that concerns the indictment of
an electronics recycling firm
executive for criminal
trafficking.
http://www.allgreenrecycling.com

E-World Executive Focus

of US Government
Criminal Investigation
Records unsealed from the
Federal District Court in San
Diego confirm the indictment
of E-World Recyclers CEO,
Robert Erie. Mr. Eries
indictment, which the
government issued in late
December of 2014, included
the charges of perjury,
falsifying business records,
and trafficking counterfeit
goods. Erie presented the
court a guilty plea, with the
case still pending before the
federal bench as of June
2015. E-World plays an
integral role in the hazardous
electronics waste disposal
http://www.allgreenrecycling.com
industry, with customers for

http://www.allgreenrecycling.c
om

Details of the Indictment

The United States government charged E-World
for concealing the storage of imitation consumer
electronics products that the company was hired
to destroy. Federal charges claim that beginning
in late 2009, E-World received 38 shipments of
counterfeit designer electronics, such as
headphones and smart watches. Under a
contract signed with Cycle Chem, Incorporated,
E-World had the legal obligation to destroy the
counterfeit electronics. However, as the
Department of Homeland Security and Customs
and Border Protection Agency discovered, an EWorld employee hid all of the counterfeit
electronics at a neighbors home and private
storage facility. Mr. Erie then attempted to sell
the fake electronics products, most of which the
indictment claims sold under well-known brand
names. The United States government also
charged Mr. Erie with presenting false reports
that detailed the destruction of the counterfeit
goods.

BAN Reacts to EWorld Indictment

After the indictment, BANs
Executive Director, Jim Puckett,
issued a statement that
emphasized the continuing
problem of corruption within the
electronics recycling industry.
The electronics recycling industry
continues to be engulfed in scandal
after scandal, which has involved
unethical exportation, dumping, or
abandonment of hazardous materials
and exposure of private data,said
Puckett.And now we see yet another
example of corporate malfeasance by
one of the recycling industrys
leading actors and this time we are
talking about blatant criminal fraud. I
think the lesson here is to use only
electronics recyclers employing the
most accountable certification
programs and to back it up with your
own due diligence.
http://www.allgreenrecycling.com

 In response to the growing number of egregious

electronics recycling incidents, BAN unveiled the eStewards Certification program to promote electronics
recyclers that follow strict government mandated
electronics recycling guidelines. BAN removes any
organization that violates the proper methods for recycling
hazardous electronics components, as well as mishandles
the destruction of private data.
The implications of the E-World indictment include
the possible loss of business with the companys
high-profile clients. Erie faces felony charges that
potentially include a maximum of 10 years in a
federal prison and a fine that approaches $2 million.
The next court date on June 29 should set the date
for the federal trial.

http://www.allgreenrecycling.com

Questions?
Comments
?

Website:
http://www.allgreenrecycling.com/
All Green Recycling
info@allgreenrecycling.com
(800) 780-0347

Resources:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2
012/04/how-to-recycle-old-electronic
s-devices/index.htm
http://www.electronicstakeback.com/ho
w-to-recycle-electronics/