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C C h a p t e r 2 : h a p t e r 2 : C C u r r e n t I n i t i a t i v e s a n d S t a n d a r d s u r r e n t I n i t i a t i v e s a n d S t a n d a r d s 21 21

Task Forces
StEP gets its work done by members within five task forces. These task forces address e-waste
issues at varying levels. These task forces focus on the research, analysis, and facilitation of
pilot projects. The work is executed by a secretariat hosted by the United Nations University,
and progress is monitored by an international steering committee, composed of key PART I
stakeholder groups.
PART I
PART I
The task forces are concerned with issues ranging from policy and legislation to designing
e-waste management models.
NOTE Additional information about the United Nations’ StEP program can be found at
www.greenitinfo.com/links under Link 2-1.
StEP task forces

Policy and Legislation

ReDesign

ReUse

ReCycle

Capacity Building

Policy and Legislation The Policy and Legislation task force reports and analyzes the status
of existing techniques and policies for managing e-waste. Based on its research and study,
the Policy and Legislation task force makes recommendations for future e-waste
management solutions.
Specifically, the task force does these things:
• Analyzes and evaluates national legislation and the international framework for
controlling and enforcing trade of e-waste and electronic recycling. Specifically, it
examines how the European Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE),
Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), and energy-using products legislation,
as well as the Basel Convention and other agreements on the national and
international level, achieve their aims with regard to recycling and minimizing
environmental impacts and how they contribute to sustainable development.
• Studies green purchasing schemes, especially how they apply to e-waste, in various
countries and how that purchasing affects the trade of e-waste and used electronics
products.
• Examines how to manage the e-waste problems in industrializing regions such as
Africa and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
• Serves as a resource for organizations in that it points out existing business models
to support the sustainable use of Information and Communications Technology
(ICT) in industrializing countries.