4DB
Part of the discussion of ethical behaviors by corporations includes international trade in hazardous waste. As an example, older computers are often collected and shipped outside the original country of origin (i.e. United States, United Kingdom, Germany, etc.) to other locations. Computers are known to contain toxic materials. How should corporate social responsibility be addressing hazardous waste issues?
Focus your discussion on the following:
- Are there ways to safely discard technology products that have become obsolete, or should manufacturers be required to only develop products that are 100 percent recyclable?
- How convenient is it to recycle technologies like computers? Is there a market (beyond raw materials) for such recycled goods, or does technology advance too quickly for old products to be of any value?
- What kinds of laws—both domestic and international—should be developed to address the hazards of the ever-increasing numbers of discarded technologies like computers, printers, servers, mobile handsets, and tablets?
- How should ethics guide and impact those laws?