Early last week, 17 child laborers, ranging in age from 6 to 13, were rescued from a hazardous recycling operation in New Delhi, India. Activists claim that the children were separating computer parts, exposing them to a multitude of toxic elements. In response to this incident, e-Cycle, a leading mobile buyback and recycling company, is encouraging businesses to use an e-Stewards-certified company for their e-cycling efforts to ensure their e-waste is recycled in the safest, most responsible and environmentally friendly manner.

The EPA estimates that 70 to 80 percent of  “reputable” electronics recycling companies in the U.S. are shipping e-waste into "toxic wastelands" in developing countries. Using bonded and sometimes slave labor, workers are exposed to toxic chemicals contained in electronic devices such as lead, zinc, mercury and flame retardants.  Open air burning of plastics, fumes inhaled from acid washes used to abstract precious metals and lead leached into the drinking water from Lithium-Ion batteries poison the local populations.

Created by the Basel Action Network (BAN), the e-Stewards® certification program is the only electronics recycler certification program that prohibits the export of hazardous waste to developing countries, requires a certified ISO 14001 and R2 environmental management system, includes industry-specific worker health and safety requirements, bans the use of prison labor in handling of sensitive data and can be used internationally.

e-Cycle, the first mobile phone buyback and recycling company to achieve e-Stewards certification, collects used mobile devices from businesses and organizations, reimbursing them for devices that retain value and recycling all others at no charge. The information on every phone is permanently deleted or destroyed using the industry's most rigorous data security measures.

Read our recent press release for more information.

To find out more visit www.e-Cycle.com.