Back to: SRI Online Training on E-Waste Management
Structure of the WEEE value chain:
Collection
The Collection phase first step of the value chain.
Collection
Collection is the sourcing and transportation stage of the e-waste recycling chain.
In the formal recycling chain
Companies, responsible for the collection and transport of e-waste.
Pros
- Can be controlled /stricter rules
- Could offer formalized jobs to informal workers
Cons
- Low effectiveness / low collection rate
- Informal sector will co-exist and compete
In the informal recycling chain
Informal workers collect waste in the streets, usually using trolleys and sell it to scrap dealers or recyclers.
Pros
- High collection rates
- Mainly non-problematic processes
Cons
- Informal, only partially organized
- Cherry-picking
Collection options:
Collection points:
- For a local collection
- Easily accessible; i.e. good identification of their location.
- Area should be able to accommodate separate, stored e-waste with respect to size.
- Enough storing space.
- Area should be weatherproof.
Collection centres
(municipal or private):
- For a regional collection
- Bigger than the collection points and often collect different types of waste.
- Are equipped with weights to weigh deliveries and record the delivered waste.
- Storage of the collection centres should be compatible with the volumes received and separated in category of e-waste
Door-to-door collection:
- Has the benefit of bringing high collection rates.
- More costly because of labour and transport infrastructure needed.
Further reading
For additional context, we have included optional PDFs with further reading.