Lifecycles: Electronics - Links and Resources

For those who didn't make it to the workshop, or who came and want to know more, here are a few places to start looking.

Karen Allen, 2009, The Human Cost of Mining in DR Congo

A short video and article about some of the consequences of militarised mining for people living in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

David Sullivan & Sarah K. Dreier, 2009, Electronics and Atrocities

This article discusses a new US government plan to map the areas of militarised mining in the DRC.

Basel Action Network

BAN works on the environmental and social impacts of toxic trade. While some sections of this website haven't been updated in a while, it has some good information on the Basel Convention and related issues. It's also worth having a look at the Basel Convention website.

Tanya Ha, E-Waste

A brief overview of some of the issues with electronics disposal, and potential solutions, from an Australian perspective.

Electronics Takeback Coalition

This coalition promotes green design and responsible recycling in the electronics industry. The website has some excellent resources, including an annual electronics recycling report card.

Greening Electronics

Information on how to reduce electronics waste at home, work, and school, and how to put pressure on electronics companies and governments to support greener electronics. This site has a US focus, but many of the ideas are relevant for Australians.

The Story of Electronics

Download 'The Story of Electronics' movie, read FAQ sheets, find out what you can do. Again, this has a US focus, but is still useful.


The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance

This project is "a voluntary system to independently verify compliance with environmental, human rights and social standards for mining operations." As well as providing an overview of the project and its members, it links to some useful information, including on Australia's Mining Certification Evaluation Project.

Aida Akl, 2010, Tracing DRC's Conflict Minerals a Daunting Task

More information on the difficulties involved in tracing conflict minerals.

Resolve Wiki

RESOLVE was commissioned by the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) and Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) Extractives Workgroup to map the supply chain for key electronics components. This wiki provides example supply chains.