The e-Stewards Initiative was created by the Basel Action Network (BAN), a Seattle based non-profit watchdog organization that works to prevent trade of hazardous waste from rich to poor countries in accordance with the international Basel Treaty and the Basel Ban Amendment. The e-Stewards program for recyclers began with a group of recyclers committing to the Electronics Recyclers Pledge of True Stewardship but later evolved into a third-party audited certification program.