About

The World Reuse, Repair and Recycling Association (WR3A) was founded in 2007 to united and defend the brilliant technicians, geeks, and nerds who supply developing world with used goods and repair services.  The World Bank recognizes that these "geeks of color" created the "critical mass of users" that made progress in emerging markets possible.

Several books and articles on the truth about recycling in "developing countries" (not primitive, not dumping, not "e-waste") owe their research to members of WR3A (doing business under the tradename Fair Trade Recycling). WR3A does not condone "toxics along for the ride" when importers are forced to accept junk, but equally objects to the politics of planned obsolescence, racial profiling, and mechanized "big shred" investments.

Among the projects of Fair Trade Recycling are an "e-waste offset" campaign, which uses sale of legitimate reuse to fund take-back and proper recycling of junk discarded in Africa, BY AFRICAN consumers, after years of repair and reuse.  While the importers of the junk seen at yards such as Agbogbloshie retired years earlier, it is true that better recycling practices are needed there.  We work to enlist the talent and intelligence of the reuse and repair "tech sector" to encourage them to "take back" stuff imported in the 1980s and 1990s, which is eventually discarded by Africans, whether it was purchased new or used.