A coalition of enviro-activist groups and recyclers has launched a new initiative to certify ‘responsible’ recyclers of superannuated electronic equipment across North America.

The e-Steward Initiative is the brainchild of the Basel Action Network, the Electronics TakeBack Coalition and a number of recyclers who want to separate serious recycling operations from those which aren’t so serious or so competent, in the eyes of the public.

“Unfortunately today, most companies calling themselves electronics recyclers are scammers,” Sarah Westervelt, e-Stewards Project Coordinator for the Basel Action Network (BAN) in Seattle, said. “They simply load up containers of old computers and ship them off to China or Africa.”

The official Web site explains that the e-Stewards Initiative aims to create, “a fully accredited, 3rd-party audited certification program: the e-Stewards Certification. By 2010, accredited certifying bodies will independently assure conformity to revised e-Stewards Standard, thus providing the highest level of assurance that they meet the world’s most responsible environmental and social justice criteria for electronics recyclers. These criteria include no toxic e-waste dumped in landfills or incinerators, exported to developing countries, or sent to prison labor operations and no release of private data.”

The e-Standards Initiative site provides full details of the e-Stewards Standard and the associated Certification program.