The Basel Action Network is a nonprofit organization started in 1997 to stop the export of toxins in e-waste to developing nations. The name derives from the United Nations' Basel Convention, a landmark agreement for environmental justice that was adopted in 1989.

Electronics are made up of many different types of materials, some of which are toxic and known carcinogens. When they are cracked or improperly disposed, these toxins can leach into the environment where they can harm the ecosystem, communities and animals. 

Despite Basel Convention hazardous waste trade regulations, some questionable recycling companies are merely brokers that export e-waste to less developed countries. These companies cut costs by offloading dismantling and recycling to impoverished countries with lax labor laws, weak environmental regulations, and poor human rights track records.

The e-Stewards Initiative is a program started by the Basel Action Network, aka, BAN, in 2006 in response to a need for stricter, cleaner standards governing e-waste recycling. The e-Stewards Initiative states in part that no hazardous, illegal e-waste will be exported to developing nations, be disposed into landfills or recycled using forced or child labor. 

Below are some links describing BAN's efforts to advance transparency and track e-waste, and also a link for the e-Stewards search engine where consumers can locate the closest certified e-Stewards recycling drop off location. 

BAN e-waste transparency project:
http://www.ban.org/trash-transparency/       

BAN Teams up with Dell to track e-waste:
http://www.ban.org/news/2018/6/19/dell-and-basel-action-network-team-up-to-track-e-waste 

e-Stewards, find a certified e-waste recycler consumer drop off:
http://e-stewards.org/find-a-recycler/