Thesis advisor: Brian J. Gareau / For my dissertation research, I am focused on the sociopolitical relations of electronics disposal, a less-considered but increasingly important stage in the life cycle of electronics. Although much has already been written on the global trade in hazardous wastes, the Basel Convention that regulates this trade, and the environmental injustice of the global waste trade--with wealthy countries dumping the "negative externalities" of their consumption on vulnerable communities in the global South--the reality today appears to be more complex. Regulators in the Basel Convention and the UN Environment Program, as well as civil society actors in industry and NGOs, have an increased interest in promoting the development of markets and infrastructure in high tech e-waste recycling. Historically, e-wastes have been both talked about, and treated as, a toxic and unwanted byproduct of the digital age. However, today key actors in the regulatory, industrial and civil society spheres are now discussing e-wastes as critical "resources" for economic and technological development. I hypothesize that uncovering the economic, technological and geopolitical drivers of this shift will reveal that the global trade in e-wastes can no longer be described as a clear-cut North/South, "perpetrator-victim," scenario, rather, it must be seen as a dynamic process where environmental inequalities are mitigated and reconstituted in new forms and at various sites. I identify two dominant paradigms that scholars, activists, policy makers and industry actors employ in evaluating the global trade in electronic wastes. I label these two paradigms the "environmental justice evaluation" and the "resource capture evaluation." By engaging concepts from global political economy and environmental sociology (particularly, O'Connor 1979; Harvey 2003; Pellow 2003) and applying them to my case, my dissertation attempts to bring a nuanced perspective to the e-waste debate. My initial findings suggest that both of these frameworks do not account for the key economic processes that are driving the e-waste trade. A better understanding of these processes will better illuminate the pathway to finding meaningful solutions to the persistent, presently illegal global trade in discarded electronics. My data consists of a comprehensive examination of meeting archives from the Basel Convention (where the experts and political decision makers on this issue implement policies that affect the global e-waste trade) spanning from 1992 to the present, as well as reviews of the proceedings of other relevant actors in e-waste policy (for example, annual meetings of the global organization StEP, and publications and pamphlets from trade organizations in the US and abroad and publications from the US government). In addition, I conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 key actors in the national regulatory, global regulatory, industry and NGO spheres in order to understand how the key decision makers in the e-waste trade understand the drivers and implications of the shift "from waste to resources." Finally, I draw on ethnographic observations conducted at a pivotal Basel Convention meeting in 2011, where a decision was made that has the potential to fundamentally reshape the Basel Convention and enable increased global trade in discarded electronics through the development of formalized recycling centers in less-developed countries. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Sociology.

Research this probe into Greenpeace actives in entering China change to launch activities with case study. In every activity of Greenpeace, especially observe the development patterns in China of the Greenpeace organization with the contamination accident of the electronics waste. Each aspects involved can be found out how the international NGO uses one's own influence to influence the decision on the environmental protection topic of Chinese Government in the incident. Understanding it influences making propping up Corporatism how the international NGO comes from it. The thesis carries on the discussion on the development of the NGOs in China. Probe into Chinese society and the transitions of the state-society relationship with the evolution of the NGOs of China themselves, and then introduce China¡¦s NGOs versus one's own NGOs with the norm on the system legally separately. It also helps to understand and make the Corporatism controlling the state-society relationship of China. And then we come to regard globalization of the environmental protection topic as the theme, and explain the influence that the environmental protection topic is globalization. Globalization has condensed panhuman the environmental consciousness of civil society. It is through the envirmental international NGOs to practice the goals to protect our envirnment. The environmental problem of China is paid attention to gradually this wave of globalization at the same time. It also lets the international NGOs realize that launch the necessity of the activities in China, too. On the other hand, it introduces development and operations of the Greenpeace by the discussion of this component; it will offer us an intacter understanding. It is the focal point of this thesis that Greenpeace and government, enterprise, media, international organization, etc. Regarding contaminatal accident of the electronics waste is as individual case finally. In this dissertaton, I also discuss with more specific introduction about how the Greenpeace uses its own resource to enforce every activies, build and constructe the advocacy networks of proposing, make the best of the relation with each side to give play to the influence of international NGOs. From the electronics waste contamination accident, it shows that the Greenpeace is engaged in. We can find out how the international NGOs use huge resource to develop in China. Under making up doctrine influence, it reflects one's own value to prove that China still needs international NGOs to help to Chinese problems under the same topic. It shows the important role of the international NGOs in the world.

The quest for sustainable development has always involved the complex task of reconciling the need for socio-economic development with public health and environmental protection. This challenge has often emerged in the trade and environment debate but has most recently been evident in international trade in used electrical and electronic equipment (UEEE). While international trade in UEEE provides means for socio-economic development in the developing world, it also serves as a conduit for transboundary dumping of e-waste in the developing world giving rise to serious health and environmental concerns. This research investigates the socio-economic as well as health and environmental impacts of international trade in UEEE in two developing countries – Nigeria and Ghana. The research identifies a major loophole in the existing international legal framework as the primary factor responsible for e-waste dumping in the developing world. This loophole relates to the absence of a legal framework for differentiating between functional UEEE and junk e-waste. This has resulted in both functional UEEE and junk e-waste being concurrently shipped to the developing world as “used electrical and electronic equipment”. The research proposes two policy frameworks for addressing this problem. On the part of developing countries, the research proposes a trade policy framework crafted in line with WTO rules. This framework will entail the development of an international certification system which will serve to differentiate functional used electronics from junk e-waste. While the former may be eligible for import, the research proposes an import ban on the latter. On the part of developed countries, the research proposes the development of a policy framework which regulates the toxic and hazardous substances that go into the production of electrical and electronic equipment as well as enhance their reusability and recyclability at end-of-life. The framework should take into consideration the entire life cycle of the products from the design stage to end-of-life. The research argues that the implementation of this design framework will go a long way in reducing the health and environmental impacts of such equipment when subsequently shipped to the developing world at end-of-life.

The quest for sustainable development has always involved the complex task of reconciling the need for socio-economic development with public health and environmental protection. This challenge has often emerged in the trade and environment debate but has most recently been evident in international trade in used electrical and electronic equipment (UEEE). While international trade in UEEE provides means for socio-economic development in the developing world, it also serves as a conduit for transboundary dumping of e-waste in the developing world giving rise to serious health and environmental concerns. This research investigates the socio-economic as well as health and environmental impacts of international trade in UEEE in two developing countries – Nigeria and Ghana. The research identifies a major loophole in the existing international legal framework as the primary factor responsible for e-waste dumping in the developing world. This loophole relates to the absence of a legal framework for differentiating between functional UEEE and junk e-waste. This has resulted in both functional UEEE and junk e-waste being concurrently shipped to the developing world as “used electrical and electronic equipment”. The research proposes two policy frameworks for addressing this problem. On the part of developing countries, the research proposes a trade policy framework crafted in line with WTO rules. This framework will entail the development of an international certification system which will serve to differentiate functional used electronics from junk e-waste. While the former may be eligible for import, the research proposes an import ban on the latter. On the part of developed countries, the research proposes the development of a policy framework which regulates the toxic and hazardous substances that go into the production of electrical and electronic equipment as well as enhance their reusability and recyclability at end-of-life. The framework should take into consideration the entire life cycle of the products from the design stage to end-of-life. The research argues that the implementation of this design framework will go a long way in reducing the health and environmental impacts of such equipment when subsequently shipped to the developing world at end-of-life.

The quest for sustainable development has always involved the complex task of reconciling the need for socio-economic development with public health and environmental protection. This challenge has often emerged in the trade and environment debate but has most recently been evident in international trade in used electrical and electronic equipment (UEEE). While international trade in UEEE provides means for socio-economic development in the developing world, it also serves as a conduit for transboundary dumping of e-waste in the developing world giving rise to serious health and environmental concerns. This research investigates the socio-economic as well as health and environmental impacts of international trade in UEEE in two developing countries – Nigeria and Ghana. The research identifies a major loophole in the existing international legal framework as the primary factor responsible for e-waste dumping in the developing world. This loophole relates to the absence of a legal framework for differentiating between functional UEEE and junk e-waste. This has resulted in both functional UEEE and junk e-waste being concurrently shipped to the developing world as “used electrical and electronic equipment”. The research proposes two policy frameworks for addressing this problem. On the part of developing countries, the research proposes a trade policy framework crafted in line with WTO rules. This framework will entail the development of an international certification system which will serve to differentiate functional used electronics from junk e-waste. While the former may be eligible for import, the research proposes an import ban on the latter. On the part of developed countries, the research proposes the development of a policy framework which regulates the toxic and hazardous substances that go into the production of electrical and electronic equipment as well as enhance their reusability and recyclability at end-of-life. The framework should take into consideration the entire life cycle of the products from the design stage to end-of-life. The research argues that the implementation of this design framework will go a long way in reducing the health and environmental impacts of such equipment when subsequently shipped to the developing world at end-of-life.

Since the 2018 Chinese plastic waste import ban, the global plastic waste trade has been increasingly problematized, especially considering the correlated global environmental issue of marine plastic pollution. Therefore, governance approaches are required to curb marine plastic pollution and regulate the plastic waste trade to prevent situations of “waste dumping” in Global South countries. This thesis will examine the connection between the 2019 changes Basel Convention as a global governance approach and the tendency of Southeast Asian countries to implement import regulations due to an increase in plastic waste exports to the region and resulting environmental concerns.  The empirical context of both plastic problems and the central theoretical concepts of waste distancing and environmental justice associated with a postcolonial, environmental theory approach are discussed in the literature review. The 2019 changes to the Basel Convention will be first examined with a content analysis and then the changing international context resulting in national import regulations will be studied with a process-tracing approach focused on the cases of Malaysia and Thailand. To conclude the Basel Convention provided a regulative framework for certain plastic waste imports and can also be related to the Southeast Asian countries’ response of repatriating illegal imports.

巴塞爾公約是關於有害廢棄物管理最重要的國際公約，公約中規範了任何有害廢棄物的越境運送都必須提供保證、保險或其他財務擔保，以用於賠償運送途中發生意外污染造成的損害。 本文針對巴塞爾公約所提及之保險加以研究，並分析我國規劃能夠銜接巴塞爾公約架構且能在國內運作的保險機制時，在法規需求方面以及實際運作方面的各項要件，並試擬我國開辦強制有害廢棄物運送保險所需之相關法規以及保單條款。 / Basel Convention is the most important International Convention about the management of hazardous wastes, the Basel Convention acquire that any transboundary movement of hazardous wastes must provides bond, insurance or other financial guarantee, as to compensate the damages caused by the accidental pollution during the transportation. This thesis tried to study what the insurance mentioned in the Basel Convention is, and to analyze every elements of legislative requirements and operational requirements when Taiwan is drawing up the internal insurance structure to connect with the Basel Convention, and tried to draft the related regulations and the terms and conditions of the insurance policy.

隨著時代的發展，電子產品已成為人類生活不可或缺的科技產物，而技術不斷更新的結果導致電子產品的汰舊換新速度加快，產生大量的電子廢棄物（E-waste）。而因為電子廢棄物仍具有高經濟利益，國際間之貿易行為增加，又，因電子廢棄物之再利用、回收及拆解等過程均會對環境造成很大的危害，其高汙染性也引起國際重視。 因電子廢棄物貿易之高經濟性及高汙染性，應適用國際法規以完整規範，目前國際間管制電子廢棄物之法規有二：一為針對環境層面之巴塞爾公約（Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal），另一為針對貿易自由化之WTO（World Trade Organization）貨品貿易原則。 研究探討後發現，兩國際公約仍然有其無法完整規範之處，而最主要的原因即為電子廢棄物於國際間無統一的分類及定義，分類不明的結果導致法規無法完整適用，電子廢棄物貿易行為無法受到管制。 因此，本論文最後將就電子廢棄物給予分類建議，並且探討若電子廢棄物有適當且明確之分類後，法規之適用性大大提升，始可解決環境面與經濟面的難解問題。 / In recent years, electronic products have become more important and indispensable in the human life. With the development of technology, old and used electronic products fall into disuse, so lots of Electronic-Waste (e-waste) has been generated. Because of great economic benefits, the international e-waste trade has turned into a significant issue. In addition, the procedure of re-using, recycling and dismantling e-waste may cause serious damages to the environment. Therefore, the high pollution resulted by E-waste has caught the attention around the world. Due to the enormous benefits and pollution of e-waste trade, the international law should be applied to stipulate the trade behavior. Currently, there are two international laws controlling e-waste: one is the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and Their Disposal that with regard to environment aspect and another is the World Trade Organization (WTO) goods rules which concerning the trade liberalization. In this research, we find that there are still some shortages about these two laws that lead to the insufficiency of the scope of the laws and difficulty of stipulating the e-waste trade. The main reason is that there is no unified and specific classification and definition of the e-waste. The e-waste will be defined and categorized in this research paper, and then the applicability of the two laws will be significantly improved in order to solve the economic and environmental issues. Therefore, according to the laws of several countries, we further give a suggestion about the classification and definition of e-waste. After we have the specific classification of e-waste, the applicable laws become useful and accurate so that we can solve the existing problem between environment and economics.

A gestão dos resíduos gerados pela sociedade, que envolve seu tratamento, valorização, aproveitamento e/ou disposição final, é um tema global que demanda de governos, empresas e cidadãos soluções adequadas. O transporte transfronteiriço de resíduos considerado tráfico quando realizado ilegalmente tornou-se uma realidade a ser enfrentada, visto que transfere os impactos de resíduos perigosos de países geradores para países que frequentemente dispõem de meios escassos para lidar eficientemente com os mesmos, aumentando a probabilidade de problemas ambientais e de saúde pública. A Convenção da Basiléia, promulgada em 1989, estabeleceu regras e limites internacionais ao trânsito de resíduos perigosos. O Brasil, como signatário da Convenção, assumiu sua implementação através do Decreto nº 875 de 19 de julho 1993. À revelia das normativas existentes, ocorrem casos de tráfico de resíduos irregulares nas fronteiras e portos brasileiros. As importações irregulares identificadas são tratadas na forma da lei pelos órgãos competentes, gerando processos administrativos, autuações e notificações. Neste trabalho realizamos um levantamento descritivo dos casos de tráfico ilegal de resíduos identificados nas fronteiras e portos brasileiros e analisamos a eficiência e eficácia do governo brasileiro, através de seu órgão ambiental IBAMA/MMA, em coibir e impedir essa prática criminosa. Utilizamos para tanto os seguintes indicadores: a identificação das cargas irregulares pelos entes governamentais; a devolução das cargas aos países de origem; a autuação dos responsáveis pelo tráfico; a comunicação ao Secretariado da Convenção da Basiléia e as ações visando coibir esta prática. A análise dos dados levantados permitiu verificar a evolução dos procedimentos governamentais afetos à problemática e apontar lacunas existentes que limitam a eficácia e eficiência das ações empreendidas. / The management of the waste generated by society, involving its treatment, recovery, and/or final disposal, is a global issue that demands of governments, businesses and citizens appropriate solutions. Cross-border transport of dangerous waste considered illegal trafficking when performed irregularly became a reality to be faced, since it transfers the potential impacts of harmful wastes from generator countries to other regions which generally have limited means to handle efficiently with them, increasing the possibility of environmental and public health problems. The Basel Convention, enacted in 1989, established international rules and limits on hazardous waste transit. Brazil, as a signatory of the Convention, assumed its implementation through Decree nº 875 of July 19, 1993. Despite the existing regulations, there are cases of illegal waste trafficking identified at the Brazilian borders and seaports. Identified irregular imports are treated by the competent national bodies according to existing laws and rules, generating administrative proceedings, fines and notifications. In this work, we conduct a descriptive survey of cases of illegal waste trafficking identified at the borders and seaports and analyze the Brazilian government efficiency and effectiveness, through its environmental agency IBAMA/MMA, in curbing and preventing this criminal practice. For this intent, we analyzed the following indicators: the identification of irregular cargos by governmental agencies; proceedings adopted against those responsible for trafficking; the return of the irregular cargos to the countries of origin; communication to the Secretariat of the Basel Convention and the actions to curb this practice. The analysis of the collected data has shown progress in government procedures pertaining to the issue and point out gaps that limit the effectiveness and efficiency of the actions.

A gestão dos resíduos gerados pela sociedade, que envolve seu tratamento, valorização, aproveitamento e/ou disposição final, é um tema global que demanda de governos, empresas e cidadãos soluções adequadas. O transporte transfronteiriço de resíduos considerado tráfico quando realizado ilegalmente tornou-se uma realidade a ser enfrentada, visto que transfere os impactos de resíduos perigosos de países geradores para países que frequentemente dispõem de meios escassos para lidar eficientemente com os mesmos, aumentando a probabilidade de problemas ambientais e de saúde pública. A Convenção da Basiléia, promulgada em 1989, estabeleceu regras e limites internacionais ao trânsito de resíduos perigosos. O Brasil, como signatário da Convenção, assumiu sua implementação através do Decreto nº 875 de 19 de julho 1993. À revelia das normativas existentes, ocorrem casos de tráfico de resíduos irregulares nas fronteiras e portos brasileiros. As importações irregulares identificadas são tratadas na forma da lei pelos órgãos competentes, gerando processos administrativos, autuações e notificações. Neste trabalho realizamos um levantamento descritivo dos casos de tráfico ilegal de resíduos identificados nas fronteiras e portos brasileiros e analisamos a eficiência e eficácia do governo brasileiro, através de seu órgão ambiental IBAMA/MMA, em coibir e impedir essa prática criminosa. Utilizamos para tanto os seguintes indicadores: a identificação das cargas irregulares pelos entes governamentais; a devolução das cargas aos países de origem; a autuação dos responsáveis pelo tráfico; a comunicação ao Secretariado da Convenção da Basiléia e as ações visando coibir esta prática. A análise dos dados levantados permitiu verificar a evolução dos procedimentos governamentais afetos à problemática e apontar lacunas existentes que limitam a eficácia e eficiência das ações empreendidas. / The management of the waste generated by society, involving its treatment, recovery, and/or final disposal, is a global issue that demands of governments, businesses and citizens appropriate solutions. Cross-border transport of dangerous waste considered illegal trafficking when performed irregularly became a reality to be faced, since it transfers the potential impacts of harmful wastes from generator countries to other regions which generally have limited means to handle efficiently with them, increasing the possibility of environmental and public health problems. The Basel Convention, enacted in 1989, established international rules and limits on hazardous waste transit. Brazil, as a signatory of the Convention, assumed its implementation through Decree nº 875 of July 19, 1993. Despite the existing regulations, there are cases of illegal waste trafficking identified at the Brazilian borders and seaports. Identified irregular imports are treated by the competent national bodies according to existing laws and rules, generating administrative proceedings, fines and notifications. In this work, we conduct a descriptive survey of cases of illegal waste trafficking identified at the borders and seaports and analyze the Brazilian government efficiency and effectiveness, through its environmental agency IBAMA/MMA, in curbing and preventing this criminal practice. For this intent, we analyzed the following indicators: the identification of irregular cargos by governmental agencies; proceedings adopted against those responsible for trafficking; the return of the irregular cargos to the countries of origin; communication to the Secretariat of the Basel Convention and the actions to curb this practice. The analysis of the collected data has shown progress in government procedures pertaining to the issue and point out gaps that limit the effectiveness and efficiency of the actions.