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Examples of strategies

This section explores 5 examples of strategies for environmentally sound management of e-waste.

Switzerland

Germany

India

Electronic Waste Ghana

Ghana

Egypt

The Swiss way

E-waste generation
201’000 t (2019) = 23,4 kg /capita

E-waste collected and recycled
123’000 t (2017) = 14,3 kg /capita

Legislation

  • Ordinance on the Return, Take-Back and Disposal of Electrical and Electronical Equipment (ORDEE).
  • Ordinance on Movements of Waste (OWM).

Legal definition of e-waste

  • “All electronic and electrical appliances that runs on electricity – direct or battery”.

Producer obligations

  • Principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
  • Advanced recycling fee: The financing of collection, utilisation and disposal is carried out by charging the customers when buying EEE.
  • Producers / importers can either have an individual take-back system or join a PRO (Producer Responsibility Organisation) that collects and manages the waste for them.
  • PRO fixes standards for recyclers and awards contracts to recyclers in a competitive process;

Product scope

  • Covers all electronic and electrical appliances that runs on electricity – direct or battery.

Collection system

  • Retailers and municipal collection points offer free drop-off and take-back points. PROs have additional collection points. Commercial consumers can pay for pick-up.

Recycling system

  • Swiss PROs have 9 direct contracted recycling and 83 dismantling companies.

Financing mechanism

  • Manufacturers and importers pay for collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of WEEE. The Advanced Recycling Fee works a bit like pension system where money collected from products sold today pays for the management of the old products sold in the past and recycled today.

Targets

  • The ORDEE does not stipulate any specific targets for WEEE recyclers. Allowing industries to decide the best practices to ensure a feasible system.

Reporting system

  • Producer members report to PRO and PRO report to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). Non-members are encouraged to join PROs and need to provide proof of individual take-back or face penalties.

Standards / Audits

  • The PRO ensures that the contracted recyclers meet quality standards for recycling. Technical audits are conducted by external auditors.

Monitoring system

  • The FOEN does the overall environmental monitoring. Cantons do the licensing of industrial facilities. Technical processing monitoring is done by external audit by PRO.

Transboundary movement of used EEE (UEEE)

  • Export of UEEE is allowed with authorisation and follows the procedures of the Basel and OECD decisions.

RoHS considerations

  • Importing new EEE: The restrictions on hazardous substances in EEE are identical to those specified in Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS2).
  • Exporting UEEE: UEEE may only be exported if they do not contain any substances that are banned and are built to be operated without CFCs.

The German way

WEEE generation
1’607’000 t (2019) = 19,4 kg /capita

WEEE collected and recycled
837’000 t (2017) = 10,10 kg /capita

Legislation

  • The European Directive (2019/19/EU) was transposed into German law by the Act Governing the Sale, Return and Environmentally Sound Disposal of Electrical and Electronical Equipment (ElektroG Act).
  • Ordinance on WEEE materials and Cost Ordinance on the EEE Act

Legal definition of e-waste

  • “Waste electrical and electronic equipment”. Meaning electrical an electronical equipment which is waste within the meaning of the Waste Directive.

Producer obligations

The ElektroG Act requires manufactures to:

  • Register electronic products and apply for a WEEE number before market launch.
  • Ensure disassembly-friendly production design.
  • Report to the German WEEE authority.
  • Collect and take-back of WEEE.
  • Delegate to authorised companies when those are without German subsidiary.
  • Provision an insolvency save guarantee for producers of business-to-consumer products.

Product scope

  • Covers 6 WEEE categories: Temperature exchange equipment; screens and monitors, lamps; large equipment, small equipment, small IT and telecommunication equipment.

Collection system

  • Public waste management authorities, retailers and producers are responsible for collection.

Recycling system

  • Producers must pick-up their containers from the municipal collection facilities and dispose content trough expert-certified treatment facilities.

Financing mechanism

  • Each manufacturer or their authorized representative is obliged to provide the competent authority with a bankruptcy-proof guarantee for the financing of the return and disposal of the WEEE.

Targets

  • For categories 1 and 4: 85% recovery; 80% reuse and recycled.
  • For category 2: 80% recovery; 70% reuse and recycled.
  • For categories 5 and 6: 75% recovery; 55% reuse and recycled.
  • For category 3: proportion of recycling is 80%.

Reporting system

  • Producers must report to the Clearing House (EAR) on a monthly basis the EEE put on market, and on annual basis the WEEE collected, reused, recycled, recovered and exported.

Standards / Audits

  • Treatment facilities must be audited and certified by accredited auditors and organisations.

Monitoring system

  • The Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) acts as the Competent Authority. The Clearing House collates and reports annual figures to the UBA on quantities and types of EEE placed on the market by all producers, and quantities collected, recovered, recycled.

Transboundary movement of used EEE (UEEE)

  • Export of hazardous WEEE or UEEE is not allowed to countries outside OECD. Allowed with notification to OECD countries.

RoHS considerations

  • Any imports of EEE into the EU must show that the EEE complies with the requirements of the RoHS-Directive and has the CE mark. RoHS directive does not independently apply export restrictions on UEEE. In general, it is not recommended to export equipment that are not RoHS-compliant out of the OECD.

The Indian way

WEEE generation
3’230’000 t (2019) = 2,4 kg /capita

WEEE collected and recycled
30’000 t (2017) = 0,02 kg /capita

Legislation

  • E-Waste (Management) Amendment Rules (2018)

Legal definition of e-waste

  • E-waste means electrical and electronical equipment, whole or in part discarded as waste by the consumer or bulk consumer as well as rejects from manufacturing, refurbishment and repair processes. E-waste under the Rules is limited to 21 categories.

Producer obligations

  • Obtaining EPR-Authorisation.
  • Organise and finance the management of WEEE collection (individually or collectively) through authorised agencies.
  • Raise awareness and relevant helplines and other information obligations towards consumers and bulk consumers.
  • For lamps: when recyclers are none existent, channelization may be done to Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) with initial necessary pre-treatment steps.

Product scope

  • 21 categories of WEEE, including all peripherals. 16 categories of IT EEE and 5 categories of Consumer EEE.

Collection system

  • Producer can choose to implement EPR individually or collectively.
  • Collection of the WEEE is the responsibility of the producer. It can be carried out through authorised agencies.

Recycling system

  • Producers and authorised recyclers are responsible for WEEE recycling. Recyclers must be authorised and ensure that the facility and recycling processes are in accordance with the standards. They must maintain record of e-waste collected, dismantled, recycled and sent to authorised facilities.

Financing mechanism

  • Producers (! incl. dealers, retailers, -retailers, manufacturers and importers !) pay for collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of WEEE under EPR.

Targets

  • For existing producers: 10% of the waste produces shall be collected (starting 2017). Then increase of 10% of collection each year (until 2023).
  • After 2023 collection rate shall be 70%. For new producers: 5% to be collected in 2018 and 2019 with 5% increase every 2 years until 2025. Then 20% collection.

Reporting system

  • Manufacturers, producers, dealers, refurbishers, collection centres, bulk consumers, dismantlers and recyclers all have to maintain records and submit annual returns to the state pollution control boards (SPCBs).

Standards / Audits

  • SPCBs are responsible for giving authorisations based on compliance with standards. Most audits carried out are on a voluntary basis.

Monitoring system

  • The SPCBs and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) are responsible for monitoring of EPR compliance.

Transboundary movement of used EEE (UEEE)

  • Import is allowed against authorisation. All imported EEE and UEEE must be registered and comply with labelling requirements.

RoHS considerations

  • Under the E-waste Rules, India restricts the same six substances at the same thresholds as EU RoHS, but with differences in product categories and products that are in scope and that are exempted.
  • India requires all importers of EEE to submit self –declaration form and to ensure RoHS information is provided in product booklet.
Electronic Waste Ghana

The Ghanaian way

WEEE generation
53’000 t (2019) = 1,8 kg /capita

WEEE collected and recycled
No data

Legislation

  • Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Law (Act 917/2016).
  • Hazardous, Electronic and Other Wastes Control and Management Regulations.
  • Prohibition on Manufacture, Sale and Import of Incandescent Lamps and Sale and Import of Used Refrigerators, Freezers and Air Conditioners, Regulations, LI 1932/2008.

Legal definition of e-waste

  • “Waste electrical and electronic equipment” means electrical or electronic equipment that is waste, including all components, subassemblies and consumables which are part of the equipment at the time the equipment becomes waste.

Producer obligations

  • Obtain an environmental permit from the Agency, maintain records and file annual returns with the Agency.
  • Ensure the collection and environmentally sound management of WEEE (individually or collectively).
  • Organise and finance of WEEE management.
  • Raise awareness towards end-users and label obligations.

Product scope

  • 13 categories: Large and small household appliances, IT and telecommunications equipment, consumer equipment, lamps, electrical and electronical tools, toys – leisure and sports equipment, medical devices, monitoring and control instruments, automatic dispensers, batteries, security and military equipment, fluorescent tubes.

Collection system

  • E-waste is collected currently only through informal channels. Legislation specifies that collection must be carried out by authorised e-waste collection agencies.

Recycling system

  • Producers and treatment facilities must ensure that a system is put in place to provide for the treatment of WEEE using the best available technologies.

Financing mechanism

  • Producers and importers of EEE must pay an advance “eco-levy” to ensure collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of WEEE.

Targets

  • Targets are set based on the specific category within the schedule that the WEEE falls under. Those targets range from 50% to 85%.

Reporting system

  • Producers, refurbishers and repairers, collection centres, institutional consumers, dismantlers and recyclers all have to maintain records and submit annual returns to the Agency.

Standards / Audits

  • The Agency will determine the standards and technical guidelines when disposing of WEEE.

Monitoring system

  • The Agency shall maintain database of WEEE.
  • The Agency shall record database such as: registration applications, permits information, tonnage of WEEE collected and processed, amount of WEEE that the producer places on the market, status of compliance and obligations fulfilled.

Transboundary movement of used EEE (UEEE)

  • Most UEEE import is allowed with permit, except for: incandescent lamps, refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners.

RoHS considerations

  • Under national regulation, Ghana restricts the same six substances at the same thresholds as EU RoHS but with differences in product categories and products that are in scope and that are exempted.

The Egyptian way

WEEE generation
No data

WEEE collected and recycled
No data

Legislation

  • Law 202 for 2020
  • Law 4 for 1994
  • Executive regulations for law 202/2020

Legal definition of e-waste

  • Categories of waste of a special nature that result from specific production activities and processes and require the availability of certain characteristics and requirements in order to acquire hazard characteristics, the most important of which is the occurrence of external interference whether by man or nature.

Producer obligations

As stated in Law 202/2020 & its legislations:

  • Principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
  • Producer is responsible for the integrated management system of his products

Product scope

  • All products electric & electronic products and not limited.

Collection system

  • Public waste management authorities through the municipalities are responsible for collection, also retailers and producers are responsible for collection. The legislative document will cover the collection of the e-waste through the municipalities and will be directed to treat e-waste through WMRA.

Recycling system

  • Public waste management authorities through the municipalities are responsible for collection, also retailers and producers are responsible for collection.

Financing mechanism

  • The legislations of law 202/2020 covers the financing of the EPR under article 17 where the funds will be collected and monitored by WMRA/MoE.

Targets

  • Will be defined later in the legislations document.

Reporting system

  • Producers, refurbishers and repairers, collection centres, institutional consumers, dismantlers and recyclers all have to maintain records and submit annual returns to the Agency.

Standards / Audits

  • The Weelabex was Egyptianized to encompass all rules and regulations covering the recycling business and inspectors from the Ministry of Environment were trained to periodically inspect the recycling facilities.

Monitoring system

  • The inspection team shall maintain database of WEEE at recycling facilities and inspects their processes.
  • The municipalities will be in charge of collection and will outsource to private companies that will be monitored by them

Transboundary movement of used EEE (UEEE)

  • Basil Convention
  • Stockholm convention