1. What is the problem?
The electronics industry has revolutionized the world: electrical and electronic products have become globally ubiquitous technologies. The widespread use of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) has raised public awareness of its positive effects such as the reduction of the digital divide, but also of the negative environmental and health effects associated with the inefficient waste management of end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE or e-waste).
There have been alarming reports of e-waste mismanagement in many countries, particularly in less developed nations and countries with economies in transition. E-waste is a significant contributor to the ICT industry’s impact on the environment, and urgent global action to address this issue is essential if the industry is to fulfill its commitment to a sustainable future.

2. What ITU is Doing to Tackle E-waste and Protect the Environment
What ITU is Doing to Tackle E-waste and Protect the Environment? What can we all do?

3. Highlights on SG5 - Q21 “Environmental Protection and Recycling of ICT Equipments/Facilities”
Some of the tasks include:
Environmentally friendly standardization
Share national experiences and knowledge related to environmental and sustainability aspects
Determine process to analyze the effect on the environment of products and ways to minimize them.
Assess environmental effects of recycling related to ICT facilities, equipments, etc.
Analyze safe, low-cost social recirculation of ICT equipments through recycling and reuse.

4. Recommendation ITU-T L.1000 Universal Mobile Charger
Q21
Recommendation ITU-T L Universal Mobile Charger
Saves 82,000 tons of waste per year

5. Best way to deal with e-waste is to avoid its creation
ONGOING - Recommendation on Universal Power Supply An ITU-GeSI Energy-aware Survey on ICT Device Power Supplies
Study on a wide set (more than 300) of External Power Supplies (EPSs)
Found major opportunity to reduce e-waste and weight
Main outcomes on e-waste:
tons of EPSs are produced every year
There is the opportunity to go for standardization
Careful design could save tons of e-waste/year
A standardized solution could save more than tons of e-waste/year
the report points to an urgent need for standards to correct glaring inefficiencies in the EPS production process
Best way to deal with e-waste is to avoid its creation