Transboundary Waste Shipments Summary

The movement of hazardous waste across international boundaries or frontiers has direct and controversial relevance to electronic products and in particular electronic waste. The shipping of hazardous waste to developing countries and to Eastern Europe in the late 80s generated considerable public opposition and resulted in the Basel Convention. This global agreement, ratified by 135 countries as well as the European Union, seeks to regulate the transboundary movement of wastes that are toxic, poisonous, explosive, corrosive, flammable, eco-toxic, or infectious.