12 Miserable Minutes: Many of you have probably heard about the CBS "60 Minutes" report on the illegal exportation of electronic waste that aired Sunday. If you haven't seen it, here it is. It's depressing viewing.

 

Now, we all know there are plenty of honest, law-abiding e-waste recyclers in this country. And I don't think anyone has a good handle on how widespread this practice of illegal exportation is. But let's be frank about this: Whether there's a little or a lot of it going on is immaterial. The fact that it is happening at all is unacceptable. Our tolerance level for it must be zero. And lawbreakers must be punished.

 

If the infrastructure to recycle America's e-waste here within our borders is inadequate -- and it seems to be growing increasingly evident that it is -- then the e-waste recycling industry has a monumental task on its hands. That infrastructure needs to be made adequate. Now.

 

Shipping toxic waste to dirt-poor people on the other side of the earth is no way to make a living.

 

Pete Fehrenbach is managing editor of Waste News. Past installments of this column are collected in the Inbox archive.

To subscribe or visit go to:  http://www.wastenews.com