Forum on Environmentally Sound Management of

E-waste in Latin America

Montevideo, Uruguay ITU/CITEL

"Best Practices on Electronic

Scrap Management"
Gustavo Fernandez Protomastro,
Consultant, Econormas del Mercosur Project
Consultant, Basel Convention Regional Centre for South America

May, 12th 2014 - Montevideo, Uruguay

 Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training
and Technology Transfer for South America
The Regional Center is based in Buenos Aires, its headquarters
being the National Institute for Industrial Technology (INTI). It
began operations in 2002, following the signature of an
Agreement between Argentina’s Secretariat of the Environment
and Sustainable Development (SAYDS) and INTI.

The Center acts as liaison for the countries in the region,

through its focal points, countries’ competent authorities and
the Regional Coordination Center. The Center provides
assistance to the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia,
Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela and
Uruguay.

 The Center is a regional referent in the area of waste electrical

and electronic equipment management, and is a member of the
RELAC/SUR/IDRC Platform Executive Committee
Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and
Technology Transfer for South America
The Center’s most recent activities include the E-waste
Inventory Project in South America, aimed at creating,
drafting and updating a national inventory and at establishing
technical guidelines to address the issue of waste electrical
and electronic equipment in order to comply with
international standards to achieve an environmentally sound
management of such wastes. Colombia was provided
assistance in the conduct of a pilot project for e-waste
collection efforts.

The Center has also been involved in multiple activities to

promote synergies with other conventions (Montreal Protocol
– training of cooling engineers), mercury management
(Stockholm Convention and SAICM)
 Econormas Mercosur: Promoting sustainable
production and consumption
The Mercosur is a regional trade agreement among Argentina,
Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. A number of other Latin
American countries have associated member status. EU-Mercosur
cooperation started in 1992. The EU and Mercosur 1995
Interregional Framework Co-operation Agreement, covers political
dialogue, cooperation and trade issues.
The Regional Strategy Paper for the period 2007-2013 includes
an EU contribution of EUR 50 million and aims at contributing to
Mercosur progress towards a higher degree of political and
economic integration.
“ECONORMAS Mercosur Project – Support for deepening the
integration process and sustainable development” (EU
contribution EUR 12 million) aims to improve the quality and
standards of Mercosur products as well as to strengthen its
capacity to reconcile growing economic activity and trade with a
high level of environmental protection.
4
 Econormas Mercosur: Promoting sustainable
production and consumption
The project is a pilot experience which aims at converging
transverse strategies of each State party in feasible and coherent
regional strategies. Furthermore, this project articulates four
courses of action, which are integrated and complementary among
each other:

Promoting sustainable production and consumption (PCS)

Combating desertification and drought effects (DyS)
Advances for the implementation of the Globally Harmonized
System (GHS) of Classification and Labelling of Chemical Products
(SGA, for its name is Spanish), defined by the SGT N°6.
The convergence of regulation and statutory basis – quality and
safety – of products in selected specific areas – wood and
furniture, electrical products, metallurgical industry – and the
creation of regional capacities of conformity assessment, defined
by the SGT N°3.
5
 SPECIAL E-WASTE CHALLENGES
High Volume of e-Waste (the highest growing
stream of urban solid waste generation),

Limits or restrictions to dump e-waste with

Municipal Solid Waste in Landfills,

Growing number of Product Types,

Heavy, Bulky and complex Waste to process,

Requires special logistics and new handling

facilities, with new e-waste processing Technology

Most of the end users keep the e-scrap in

warehouses, garages or attics;
 SPECIAL E-WASTE CHALLENGES
So a Challenge is how to seduce end users to turn
back e-waste to Recycling Systems;

Full equipment or spare parts & pieces are

regulated as Hazardous waste or not allowed to be
dumped in municipal landfills in many countries

New e-Waste Plants are Required in Developing

countries
Existing facilities not designed to handle or
Need special equipment, new process, EHS and
training to be managed

World is requiring “urban mining” to satisfy the

raw materials demand of the Digital Era
E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream
but also the richest above ground mine
67 million metric tons of electrical and electronic
equipment were put on the market in 2013

53 million metric tons e-waste were disposed of

worldwide in 2013.

3 o 4 kg/person/day en Latin America, 15 to 20

kg/person/year en OCDE

For every one million cell phones that are recycled, 16

tons of copper, 350 kilos of silver, 34 kilos of gold and
15 kilos of palladium can be recovered

Global industry trends: >50 % of the iron, copper,

aluminum, lead and PGM coming from “urban Mining”
E-WASTE MANAGEMENT KEY DECISIONS
Choose among Public e-waste Programs (National or
Municipal) or Private BtoB e-waste programs or NGOs

Or choose mixed programs. Make synergies

Financing (Show me the money!!!): Choose who will
pay among alternatives such as Producers EPR
taxes, municipal taxes or eco-taxes over new products
or voluntary programs.

At the end of the day, we all pay for a better

environment: users, buyers, tax payers, stakeholders,
Producer & Government. Be clever in finding financing

So make it important the e-scrap Industry & you´ll get

the financing from users, Producers and, tax payers...
E-WASTE MANAGEMENT KEY DECISIONS

Use current collection/logistics systems or

develop new e-scrap reverse logistics
Direct Reuse or Refurbishment
Component Recovery or Raw Material
Recovery
Recycling & refining or treatment & final
disposal
Import & export, considering local
infrastructure or ban e-waste movements
The value chain on e-waste
management

11
 How is the Value Chain of e-Scrap
Management in Developed Countries
Product WEEE Management

Recovery & Recycling End

Consume Collection Function (spare parts Exporting
Raw Materials to refineries Disposal
or equipment)
3
2
1
Producers & Refurbishers -Plastics
Importers 1) Municipal recyclers
collection Spare parts -Glass
2) OEM recovery recyclers Ash or slag
Corporate or services - Cable E-Scrap disposal
private 3) Non OEM Recycling recyclers Refineries Hazardous
consumer services and sorting -Ferrous and Wastes
4) BtoB eScrap by e-Scrapers non ferrous
collection recyclers
programs -NGOs
-Metal smelters
Retailers The green recycling chain

1 Recovery of function from refurbishes or recyclers that “harvest” spare parts such as memories, IC chips, power
supplies, batteries, etc.
2 Raw material recyclers : get ferrous scrap for iron/steel smelters; plastics for extruders; copper/aluminum and other
base metals processors or smelters
3
Base and precious metal refineries

Adapted from EMPA

 Principles & Policies on e-Waste
management
An effective response to the e-waste problem also
requires a clear allocation of roles and
responsibilities among several actors, as well as the
identification and implementation of a mix of policies
interventions, which must be adapted to the local
context as much as possible.

General policy and regulatory recommendations

relate to harmonization; standards and certification;
obligations and incentives of key actors; extended
producer responsibility policies; and various forms of
partnerships designed to address e-waste.

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Principles & Policies on e-Waste
management

Any effective e-waste management ecosystem

must address the local context at the core of its
design. There is a need to balance the push for
access to ICTs with the practicality of harnessing
the resultant e-waste in a manner that is
sustainable for the long term.

Other critical aspects of developing a roapmap for

e-waste management include identifying
stakeholders; compliance; enforcement; and
awareness and capacity-building.

14
Considerations to select an e-waste vendor
(reverse logistics, recyclers, RMA, etc.)

Use a Check List Auditory on Sound Processes and

Technology on e-waste management, not a best
price consideration

Most advantageous, not lowest cost

Enlist expertise of others
Regulatory compliance, ISO, Health & Safety or
Environmental requirements
Environmental Management Systems
Downstream auditing/tracking capability
Recycler due diligence of end markets
 ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND
MANAGEMENT

Regulatory Compliance
Follow Agreed Upon Standards
Down Stream Material Tracking
Impact on Environment
Business Practices
Independent Third Party Certification
Third Party Audits
Auditing Best Practices in WEEE
Partners Facilities

OEM

Adapted from Dell Inc. 17

Auditing Best Practices in WEEE
Partners Facilities

Adapted from Dell Inc. 18

Auditing Best Practices in WEEE
Partners Facilities

Adapted from Dell Inc. 19

PLANNING AN E-WASTE PROGRAM

Determine what is best for your

community or clients/consumers
Develop a Public or Private + Public or BtoB
Program
Define program Goals
Evaluate Existing Logistics and/ or
Infrastructure
Match Program Design with Local Needs
Select Format System: Municipal Program,
Integrated Management Program, Third
Party Program
 COLLECTION MODELS

Drop-off Event (one-day or multiple

days)
Permanent Collection Facilities
(indicating Where? When? How? Free or
Payer System??
Curbside Collection
Retail Collection:
Nonprofit/Thrift Retail Collection
 PROGRAM PLANNING

Site Selection and Layout (make it simple and

“cool” the take back process for everybody)
Social Networks platform for connecting end user
with the Programs actors and processes.
Make it simple how end-user returns the e-scrap
Make it easy and “cool” the billing or paying or
awarding for the people that participate of the program
Staffing and Training Needs
EHS prevention programs
Get enough Space, Collection Equipment and
Vehicle Needs. Estimate of Participation
Control Costs, make it safe for people and environment
 PUBLICITY AND OUTREACH
Relationship between convenience, outreach, and
participation
What to include in outreach messages
Media resources
Social Networking: make it “cool” and simple the
collection process

DATA COLLECTION & REPORTING

Contract Management
Stakeholder Reports
Program Evaluation
Comparison to Other Programs
 Operational considerations for e-
waste Facilities
Define and follow General Site Procedures

Provide Personal Protective Equipment

On-site Segregation and Storage

Environment and Health Monitoring

Packaging and Transportation

Recycling Certificates/Tracking Documentation

Feedback to Authorities, OEMs, NGOs or

consumers/users
Urban mining: getting resources from
the e-scrap

Adapted from UMICORE

Where electronic scrap is generated, treated and
refined. Latin America is the new frontier

???

Adapted from BOLIDEN

26
 FINAL THOUGHTS
E-Waste has valuable quantities of spare parts
and/or raw materials but also contains
traces of Hazardous Waste to be treated.

Producers and where is no EPR, the

Government, have long-term liability

Private, Public and Mixed Programs can

generate synergies in e-waste reverse logistics
or processing/treating Integrated Systems

Lead easy and “cool” take back/collections of e-

waste programs. Get synergies
 FINAL THOUGHTS
Select (or become) the best logistics, recycling
o end treatment contractor

Monitor step, by step, the full process of the e-

waste management: green eyes improves
sustainability

Control (if Governments) or lead Due Diligence

(if Producers, Consumers, NGOs) the e-waste
flows

Urban mining will support a growing demand

of the raw materials needs from the Digital Era