20 March 2011: The Secretariat of the Basel Convention has released a publication titled “Guidance Document on the Environmentally Sound Management of Used and End-of-Life Computing Equipment,” prepared by the Basel Convention Partnership for Action on Computing Equipment (PACE) Working Group.

The objective of the document is to provide guidance for the environmentally sound management (ESM) of used and end-of-life computing equipment. The document emphasizes reuse and recycling, in an effort to divert such used and end-of life products from final disposal operations such as landfills or incinerators. The document provides general guidance pertaining to the ESM of used and end-of-life computing equipment that includes such considerations as: ESM criteria recommendations; transboundary movement procedures; testing, refurbishment and repair; and material recovery and recycling. [Publication: Guidance Document on the Environmentally Sound Management of Used and End-of-Life Equipment]