1. 4th ITU Green Standards Week
Turning the e-waste challenge into an opportunity
Cristina Bueti
Adviser of ITU-T Study Group 5

2. Facts about e-waste worldwide
Last year nearly 50m tonnes of e-waste was generated worldwide – or about 7kg for every person on the planet;
Only 8% of old cell phones are recycled properly;
Only 12.5% of e-waste is recycled;
Recycling one million laptops saves enough energy to power 3,600 homes.
Photo credit: Andrew McConnell/Alamy
Data source: 2

3. Weaknesses of e-waste management systems
E-waste dispersed
Illegal traffic
Speculation on compliance costs
No clear common definition
Lack of internationally comparable data
Heterogeneous
reporting requirements
Developing country-specific criticalities
Lack of transparent management of funding 3

4. Prevention is better than cure
Policies and standards
Sustainable manufacturing practices:
Eco-design
Choice of reusable and non-toxic materials
Prolonged products life-cycle
E-waste disposals
Eco-design: designing for easy disassembly and recycling of equipment
Equipment life-cycle: prolonging lifetime of equipment
Material’s choice: avoiding use of heavy pollutants and minimization of the use of resources
Regulations and standards to:
generate decent employment,
curb health problems,
cut greenhouse gas emissions and
recover a wide range of valuable metals including silver, gold, palladium, copper and indium – by turning an e-challenge into an e-opportunity.
Source: 4

5. E-waste in Asia (1)
Asia e-waste market: USD 1.85 billion in 2012; USD 4.01 billion in 2017
(Frost & Sullivan, 2013)
Challenges
Lack of legal framework
Well-established informal sector
Economic sustainability of formal recycling
Inadequate recycling infrastructure
Need to raise awareness
Data availability
Illegal shipments of e-waste
United Nations University, 2013
In 2012 the e-waste market in Asia was worth some USD 1.85 billion and is expected to reach USD 4.01 billion in 2017 (Frost & Sullivan, 2013), but governments’ capacity to take full advantage of such opportunity is undermined by the following challenges:
First, many countries in Asia still lack a specific legislation on e-waste. Consequently, stakeholders are not held accountable for refusing to take-back discharged equipment, while the formal recycling sector struggles to emerge.
The presence of a well-established informal sector puts many developing countries in front of a conundrum: how to avoid hazardous practices in e-waste management while protecting the poor and underprivileged who depend on accessing e-waste, and …
Guaranteeing, at the same time, adequate access to authorized recycling facilities. So far only few circumscribed projects have put in place incentives for informal collectors to hand over pre-sorted and manually dismantled e-waste to plants which conform with international standards.
Inadequate recycling infrastructure leaves space to the so-called backyard recycling practices (e.g. open burning, leaching and de-soldering) which can cause irreversible damages to human health and the environment. For instance, in Bangladesh every year around 15% of child workers die as a result of e-waste recycling.
Hence, countries in Asia need to raise awareness not only among consumers of EEE, but also among informal workers.
A well-crafted legal framework for e-waste management depends also on the availability of accurate data. However, most countries in Asia have not carried out inventories on e-waste flows nor have they put in place integrated e-waste information systems.
Finally, the increase in South-South smuggling of e-waste, which adds up to transboundary movements from industrialized countries, threatens governments’ capacity to set up a sustainable system for e-waste management. The table shows that China, India and Indonesia, main destinations for illegal shipments of e-waste, have to deal with significant amounts of e-waste generated and these estimates are deemed to increase.
In particular, China, which is the primary country of destination for e-waste shipments (UNU, 2013) and … (following slide)
Country
E-waste generation (tons/year)
Per capita generation (kg/person)
China
7,253.01
5.36
India
2,751.84
2.25
South Korea
961.33
19.22
Indonesia
708.38
2.90
Data source: StEP, 2012

6. E-waste in Asia (2) People‘s Republic of China
The country is the second largest producer of electronic waste.
In 2011, it generated tons of e-waste; 40 mn TV sets and 66.7 mn computers.
2011 Regulation on Management of the Recycling and Disposal of WEEE;
Formal sector: 61 million home appliances collected and treated in 2011;
informal recyclers.
(StEP, 2012; 2013; UNU, 2013)
…one of the leading producer of electronic waste, in 2012 generated tons of e-waste, according to StEP (2012). In 2011, it discharged approximately 40 mn TV sets and 66.7 mn computers.
Acknowledging the size of the problem, in 2011 China applied the extended producer responsibility principle to e-waste management under the “Regulation on Management of the Recycling and Disposal of WEEE”.
As a result, the formal sector collected and treated around 61 million major home appliances in 2011 (StEP, 2013).
However, recycling facilities in China are still struggling for luck of funds and access to e-waste. Although informal dismantling is banned under China’s legislation, it is estimated that workers are still engaged in informal recycling (StEP, 2013) with Guiyu (Guangdong Province) and Taizhou (Zhejiang Province) being the major centers (Maslog, 2012).
Basel Convention, 2014
Ewasteguide, 2011

7. International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
4th ITU Green Standards Week
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
UN specialized agency for ICTs
unique public/private partnership
Members:
193 Member States (Governments and regulatory bodies)
Over 700 Private Sector (Sector Members and Associates)
Over 63 Academia

8. ITU’s mandate on e-waste
4th ITU Green Standards Week
ITU’s mandate on e-waste
Assist countries to develop policies on e-waste management
Develop international standards on life-cycle management of ICT equipment
Help companies becoming more sustainable and socially responsible
Carry out research and development
Raise awareness

9. ITU-T Study Group 5 4th ITU Green Standards Week
Question 13 - Environmental impact reduction including e-waste
Working Party 3 – ICTs and Climate Change
Study Group 5 – Environment and Climate Change

10. Research and development
4th ITU Green Standards Week
Research and development
Identifying standards and policy needs
As part of its research activities, ITU contributes to increase the body of knowledge in the area of ICTs, the environment and climate change.
An Energy-aware Survey on ICT Device Power Supplies. Specifically, this document reports the results of a wide analysis performed on a large set of commercially available external power supplies (more than 300 devices verified and more than 200 electrically measured) to assist the standardization activities within ITU-T Study Group 5 (SG5) (Recommendation ITU-T L.1000, phase 2). Mechanical, electrical and environmental characteristics have been evaluated; correlation and statistics have also been developed.
The report is organized in two main parts. The first part (Sections 2 and 3) considers nameplate (e.g., voltage, current, efficiency class, etc.) and physical characteristics (e.g., weight, volumes, mains and DC voltage connector type). The second part (Sections 4 and 5) of the report shows the measured electrical features of the adapters, in terms of energy efficiency, DC voltage and Cos φ, with variable loads, together with no load measurements.
An Energy-Aware Survey on ICT Device Power Supplies

11. ITU Toolkit on Environmental Sustainability for the ICT Sector
4th ITU Green Standards Week
ITU Toolkit on Environmental Sustainability for the ICT Sector
Purpose: enable the ICT industry to drive environmental best practice into its own performance.
Practical Support
Standards Support
Checklist
Detailed practical support on how ICT companies can build sustainability into their operations and management
Ongoing contribution to ITU-T Study Group 5 which has the goal of developing global standards in this arena
Standardized checklist of sustainability requirements specific to the ICT sector

12. Collaboration with over 50 partners
4th ITU Green Standards Week
Collaboration with over 50 partners
NTT
Panasonic
PE INTERNATIONAL AG
Research In Motion
Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa
Step Initiative
Telecom Italia
Telecommunications Networks and Telematics Laboratory
Telecommunication Technology Committee
Telefónica
Thomson Reuters
Toshiba
United Nations Environmental Programme
United Nations Environmental Programme Basel convention
United Nations University
University of Genova
University of Zagreb
Verizon
Vodafone Ghana
3p Institute for Sustainable Management
Alcatel Lucent
BBC
BIO Intelligence Service BT
CEDARE
Climate Associates
ClimateCHECK
Cogeco Cable
DATEC Technologies
Dell
Ernst & Young
ETRI
ETNO
ETSI
European Broadcasting Union
France Telecom/Orange
Fronesys
Fujitsu
GHG Management Institute (GHGMI)
Hewlett-Packard
Hitachi
Huawei
IBI Group
Imperial College
Infosys
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Mandat International
MicroPro Computers
Microsoft
MJRD Assessment Inc.
National Inter-University Consortium for Telecommunications
Nokia Siemens Networks
NEC Empowered by Innovation

13. Toolkit content 4th ITU Green Standards Week Document Summary
Introduction to toolkit
A business-led perspective on the use of sustainability in ICT organizations
Sustainable ICT in corporate organizations
Sustainability issues with the use of ICT products and services
Sustainable products
Sustainability-led design principles and practice for ICT products
Sustainable buildings
Sustainability management of the construction, use and decommissioning of ICT buildings
End-of-life management
Support in dealing with the various end-of-life stages of ICT equipment
General specifications and KPIs
Environmental KPIs that can be used to manage and evaluate sustainability performance
Assessment framework
Mapping the standards and guidelines applying to the ICT industry

14. End-of-life management for ICT equipment
4th ITU Green Standards Week
End-of-life management for ICT equipment
End-of-life management
An outline of the various EOL stages (and accompanying legislation) , and support for creating a framework for environmentally-sound management of EOL ICT equipment.
Material recovery and recycling
Clean supply chains
Offsetting and mitigation

15. End-of-life management for ICT equipment
4th ITU Green Standards Week
End-of-life management for ICT equipment
Structure of analysis:
Legal frameworks
EOL management steps
Regulatory compliance
Best practice guidance
Clean supply chains and conflict minerals
Socio-economic issues
Corporate social responsibility
Checklists
Key guidance to ensure best practices:
General Material Recovery and Recycling Facility Guidelines / minimum criteria to select a service provider
Clean Supply Chain and Conflict Minerals: An opportunity for a greener industry
Offsetting Opportunities and Mitigation: The ICT sector response to Social and Environmental issues generated by bad EOL practices

16. Global portal on ICTs, environment and climate change
4th ITU Green Standards Week
Global portal on ICTs, environment and climate change
Launched in February 2014

17. Raising awareness 4th ITU Green Standards Week
ITU/NBTC Training for Asia-Pacific Region on "Leveraging ICTs for Smart Sustainable Cities“ 29 September - 2 October 2014, Bangkok, Thailand
Forum on "Sustainable smart cities: from vision to reality“ 13 (morning) October 2014, Geneva, Switzerland
6th meeting of Focus Group on Smart Sustainable Cities (FG-SSC) 13 (afternoon) -16 October 2014, Geneva, Switzerland

18. Next steps 4th ITU Green Standards Week
Policy makers should have long-term sustainability ambitions
Consider e-waste management in the design of ICT policies
Implement international standards at the national level
Encourage concerted cooperation in handling e-waste at the national, regional and international level
Improve the sustainability and competitiveness of manufacturing and business practices
Create manufactured products through economically-sound processes that minimize negative environmental impacts while conserving energy and natural resources
Sustainable manufacturing also enhances employee, community, and product safety and promote green jobs
Foster public-private partnerships
Raise awareness at consumer level

19. 4th ITU Green Standards Week
ITU-T and Climate Change itu.int/ITU-T/climatechange
Symposia & Events on ICTs and Climate Change itu.int/ITU-T/worksem/climatechange
Thank you