fair trade recycling balances the concern about “externalizing” pollution to developing nations with the concept of the “tinkerer blessing”, where reuse, repair and recycling is a way emerging markets do a better job of sustainability than we do. ftr uses the value of remarketable equipment to fund the collection of “e-waste” which these nations have accumulating in their own backyards.

https://www.facebook.com/events/100546936795165/?fref=ts

a group of universities (memorial university, university cp peru, university of southern cal, mit, univ of amsterdam, etc.) have received grant funding to research what is really happening with exports. how much of it is really being reused? what recycling practices are dangerous, and how can manual disassembly actually do better than shredding machines, etc.?