The Initiative: Our 5 Principles
1. StEP's work is founded on scientific assessments and incorporates a comprehensive view of the social, environmental and economic aspects of e-waste.
2. StEP conducts research on the entire life cycle of electrical and electronic equipment and their corresponding global supply, process and material flows.
3. StEP's research and pilot-projects are meant to contribute to the solution of e-waste problems.
4. StEP condemns all illegal activities related to e-waste including illegal shipments and re-use / recycling practices that are harmful to the environment and human health.
5. StEP seeks to foster safe and eco- and energy-efficient re-use and recycling practices around the globe in a socially responsible manner.
E-waste - An Underestimated Environmental Problem
Every day a vast number of electrical and electronic devices end up as waste; some of them ready for scrap, others just obsolete. All this is gradually mounting up to a serious environmental problem, which has so far failed to attract the public interest.
There was a need for analysis and dialogue from a neutral, scientific-based standpoint in order to find solutions which reduce environmental risk and enhance development. This is why we began developing the StEP Initiative in late 2004 which has grown to a 50+ member initiative today with members coming from industry, international organizations, governments, NGOs, academia etc.
