According to environmental non-profit Basel Action Network (BAN), electronics recycling may not be quite as straightforward as consumers believe. While some electronics are safely dismantled and have their components scrapped or re-used, the recycling process consists of a complex, multi-step supply chain that ends in the developing world, where e-waste is often exported for treatment and oversight is minimal.
BAN indicates that unsafe environmental and labor conditions are common and have a devastating impact on the countries receiving electronics recyclables. Increased transparency, however, could offer a potential solution - and HP Inc. is ready to rise to the challenge.