Earlier this year, thousands of you joined the call for a strong Federal e-waste policy in the United States that clearly prohibits the U.S. government’s e-waste from being exported to developing nations.

We demanded this because we know that the electronic gadgets in today’s e-waste contain hazardous materials like lead, mercury and cadmium which poison communities, workers and the environment in the developing world. We want to solve this problem at home rather than export it out of site and out of mind.

But last week, when the Obama Administration’s Electronics Task Force finally issued its Electronics Stewardship report, they failed to include this essential ban on exports of e-waste.

This is unacceptable. We can do better than export our toxic-containing e-waste to developing countries.

There are lots of ways to solve the growing e-waste problem. At the production stage,  companies can make electronics more durable, less toxic and more easily recyclable. And we – individuals, students, community members -  can do our part by making our electronics last as long as possible, resisting the style-driven upgrade, and recycling unwanted e-waste at certified E-Stewards recyclers who don’t export this  junk to developing countries.

We can also help solve the e-waste problem by joining with friends at the Center for Environmental Healthto Urge President Obama to amend the policy developed by his task force and to clearly state that NO U.S. government e-waste will be exported to developing countries.

Obama’s Electronics Task Force plan requires the use of certified recyclers, but one of the two certification programs still allows exports of our trash to developing nations. This is not the way to stem the flow of e-waste overseas, not a way to create jobs for Americans, and not a way to encourage better design by electronics manufacturers. As the country’s biggest purchaser of electronics, our federal government must take responsibility for its e-waste and adopt a zero-export policy for its untested and non-working electronic equipment.

Act now. Tell President Obama: No More Toxic E-Waste Exports!

If you live outside the U.S., your voice counts too! If you live in a waste importing country, please tell Obama to solve, rather than export its e-waste problem. And if you too live in an e-waste exporting country, work to stop dumping waste overseas and promote solutions at home.

We’re never going to solve our environmental or international challenges if some countries keep dumping waste on other countries. It’s not necessary, it’s not helpful and it is definitely not nice.