1. Successful technology cooperation in e-waste management between Switzerland and Colombia
Sandra Méndez Fajardo, Ph.D., Colombia
Heinz Böni, Empa, Engineer MSc., Switzerland

2. Introduction
Sandra Méndez Fajardo

3. What is e-waste? Obsolete EEE becomes e-waste Electrical Electronic
Equipment

4. Hg Why is e-waste relevant?
Most of the e-waste is collected and recycled by the Informal sector
e-waste has potential environmental and public health impacts
ELEMENTS IN MOBILE PHONES Hg
EMPA, 2014
Hernández C., 2015

5. Why is e-waste relevant?
e-waste offers the opportunity to recover precious and base metals and valuable other materials (urban mining)
E-waste recycling offers a huge Job creation potential
Gold
Silver
Neodymium
Indium
Gallium …
In industrialized countries

6. e-waste generation in some LAC countries (2014)
Total in LAC
Global total
Source: GSMA: E-waste en America Latina (2015)

7. Stakeholders involved in e-waste management? ?
Producers
and
Distributors
Consumer ?
Formal / informal
recycler ? ? ?
Government
(Environmental and Trading Authorities)
Source: GSMA: E-waste en Anmerica Latina (2015)

8. Summarizing e-waste management issues in developing countries
Unsustainable behaviors (consumption, waste management)
Low institutional capacities
Policy decision-making based mainly on economic priorities
Low level of cooperation and coordination
Lack of dissemination of information about existing programs
Informal recycling
Lack of systemic decisions

9. Sustainable Recycling Industries Programme
Heinz Böni

10. National executing agencies
Programme Set-Up
Swiss e-waste programme / Sustainable Recycling Industries programme:
A programme funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (seco) in the framework of Swiss Development Cooperation
International
executing agencies
National executing agencies
Donor
Beneficiaries
National committees
Industry associations
Government agencies
Individual companies

11. 10 years of developing success (2008-2017)
Assessment and
planning
Implementation
Closing
2008
2010
2012
2014
2017
Swiss e-Waste Programme
Sustainable Recycling
Industries
Financial volume ( ): Mio CHF (2.7 Mio Euros)

12. Assessment and planning 2008-2010
… assessment studies
… stakeholder identification
… regional coordination
… research
… scientific publications

13. Implementation 2010-2013 … sensibilization … stakeholder involvement
… technical trainings
… collection campaigns
… regional harmonization and networking
… support of the development legal framework

14. Implementation and closing 2014-2017
National committee
Technical trainings
Support of business creation
Train-the-trainers
Auditing of e-waste recycling companies

15. The results and remaining challenges
Sandra Méndez

16. Ley 1672 sobre la gestión integral de los RAEE
Resolución y decreto in preparation

17. Planned to be published in Jun 2017
National policy for sustainable e-waste management
2017 to 2032
Strategic goals:
To prevent e-waste generation (quantities and presence of hazardous substances)
To implement managment systems based on EPR
To strengten recycling business based on minimal technical standards
To improve stakeholders integration
Planned to be published in Jun 2017

18. Post-consumer Programs
System based on Extended Producer Responsibility (Lindhqvist, 2001 )
Post-consumer Programs
Producer
Consumers
Distributor
Formal recyclers

19. System based on Extended Producer Responsibility (Lindhqvist, 2001 )
National Industry Association

20. EcoComputo assumes EPR for these companies

21. Red Verde assumes EPR for these companies

22. More than 10 formal companies growing..
… and many others ….
… formed the first industry association of e-waste recyclers in LAC.

23. The challenges ahead… Continued high participation of informal sector
Huge stock of piled WEEE in private households
Further cultural and educational efforts needed
Challenging collection targets
Demand for technology upgrades
Lack of enforcement and control
Lack of international standards
Governance structure to be brought into the regions

24. Thank you for your attention