barbera torens

E-waste as an Economic and Environmental

Solution in Developing Countries

Best of Two Worlds Theory in Practice

WorldLoopBarbara Toorens

Barbara.toorens@worldloop.org

How many electronics do you have in your:

– Suitcase ?– Home ?– Office ?

AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD HAS 91 ELECTRONIC DEVICES

What happens when it stops working, where does it go?

The End-of-Life Challenge• ICT has positive benefits on development for education, gender equality, health, etc.

•When ICT equipment has reached the end of functional use as ICT equipment, it is ready for disposal…

• However, many developing countries lack the needed legislation, expertise and infrastructure to manage proper disposal…

• 650,000-1,000,000 tons of e-waste generated in West African countries/year1

• 70% of all imports in Ghana were used EEE (2009) 2

• 30% determined non-functioning

• UGANDA: No dedicated e-waste legislation ; 9+ national laws ; 9+ international conventions 3

• Negative impact on environment and health 4

• Mercury in LCDs, batteries, etc = brain / liver damage; contaminated food sources

• TBBA in wiring boards = hormonal disorders• Barium in CRT’s = Brain swelling, muscle weakness, damage

to the heart, liver and spleen• Lead in CRTs, batteries, etc = Kidney damage, brain disorders,

blood disorders.

E-waste Facts & Figures for Africa

1UNEP (2010)2 Basel Convention: How are WEEE doing in Africa (2011 report)3 Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET)4 EMPA E-waste Guide

ICT E-Waste: Economic Resource

CENTRAL UNIT – AVERAGE COMPOSITIONScrap steel 7,7KG 33KES € 2,42 CD, A-drive, HD 1,51KG 33KES € 0,47 Copper 0,1KG 400KES € 0,38 Aluminium 0,04KG 100KES € 0,04 Plastics 0,5KG 10KES € 0,05 Printed Circuit Boards – Medium * 0,3KG 400KES € 1,14 Mixed wires 1,13KG 0KES € -

12,18KG976KES

€ 4,50

* Printed Circuit Boards - High 0,9KG 600 KES € 5,14

CRT MONITOR – AVERAGE COMPOSITIONMetal 1,00KG 33KES € 0,31 Copper 0,41KG 400KES € 1,56 Aluminium 0,23KG 100KES € 0,22 Plastics 1,90KG 10KES € 0,18 Thick wires 0,1KG 33KES € 0,03 CRT Glass 8,47KG 0KES € - Printed circuit boards - Medium 1,20KG 400KES € 4,57 Mixed scrap 0,35KG 0KES € - Transformer 0,05KG 0KES € - Mixed wires 0,4KG 0KES € - Deflection coil 0,56KG 0KES € - Getterpil - electrogun 0,03KG 0KES € -

14,70KG 976KES € 6,88

Source: EMPA; Currency exchange rate 1.05

Started by Close the Gap, an ICT for Development NGO, as a pilot in 2010

Extending the positive impact of ICT projects in developing countries by offsetting the negative environmental impact of its hardware.

Using a Bo2W model, develop sustainable e-waste recycling centres in developing countries to turn e-waste into sustainable, human and economic resources.

Offer ‘like-for-like’ recycling based on the sale and management of E-Resource certificates

Objectives– Create awareness and drive action.– Create an operational network.– Act as a quality label.– Support projects to become self-sustaining.

About WorldLoop

Operational Model:Best of 2 Worlds

Electronic device

Dead electronic device

X

Device collected and spared from the dump

Locally dismantled

Valuable materials extracted

Circuit boards, leaded glass & batteries recycled using latest technologies in Europe

• Transparency: Monthly reporting• Asset intake• Assets processed• Fraction sales w/ customer

details

• Accountability: Annual Audits• Financial• Environmental • Occupational Health and

Safety

Good Governance

• Recycling Standards• Local legislation • ISO140001• R2 / E-Stewards

• Code of Conduct• 10 principles of UN Global

Compact

Material Collection Manual Dismantling & sorting Fraction resaleAutomated processing & recycling

(WEEE Centre)Hazardous fraction disposal

END PROCESSING

Europe

PILOT CASE:East African Community

REGIONAL FACILITY:The WEEE Centre, Nairobi Kenya

– Automated equipment: CRT cutter, plastic shedder, cable stripper

– Current capacity: 12,000 assets/year – 2013 estimate: 25,000 assets/year– 2015 estimate: 75,000 assets/year

– 8 FTEs : – 2 management – 6 manual recyclers

– Initial Investment: €75,000– Equipment, facility, employee training

– Annual recurring:– Estimated annual revenue: €150,000

(25.000 assets)– Estimated annual costs: €120,000

– Break-even point: 20.000 assets– First year results :(12.000 assets)

– Revenue of PCB (13 MT): € 70,000– Local fraction sales: € 30.000

– Sustainability Targets:– Double intake by EOY 2013 to 25.000 assets

(self-sufficiency)

WEEE Centre Facts and Figures

Since September 2011

2012 Project ExpansionLocation: Nairobi, KenyaActivities: Collection, manual dismantling, automated processing Staff: 8

Location: Nairobi, KenyaActivities: Business development, collection Staff: 2

Location: Kigali, RwandaActivities: Collection, manual dismantlingStaff: 3

Location: Moshi, TanzaniaActivities: Collection, manual dismantlingStaff: 2

Associated Projects:• Electronic Waste Collection (EWC), Kenya• Crescent Future Kids, Zambia• Benelux Afro Center, Democratic Republic of Congo• Seneclic, Senegal

WorldLoop Financing Model

– Corporate Sponsorships

– Financial contributions to support WorldLoop activities

– E-Resource Certificates

– B2B market driven contribution to offset e-waste footprint

– Public Private Partnerships – In-kind support for business services &

recycling operational needs

Market Driven Funding: E-Resource Certificate

E-Resource Certificate =

Environmentally sound disposal of20KG of electronic waste:

EX: 1 CPU + Monitor

Funding Distribution:• 80% → WorldLoop members as:

• Seed capital and/or contribution to bridge pilot phase• Capacity building

• 20% → WorldLoop organization for quality assurance• Accreditations and financial/environmental auditing of

member facilities.

Board of Directors– Mr. Wilhemus A.G. Blonk– Mr. Olivier Vanden Eyden– Mr. Hennie Wesseling

Board of recommendation– Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Corporate Sponsors– Recupel– CharITy– BTC– RICOH– Rabobank

Strategic Partners– Coolrec – Umicore– Close the Gap– Computer Aid International– Deloitte– PKF– AIR– KLM– Flection– Vintage productions– Acerta

International Community– European Commission

DG Digital Media– United Nations:

– PACE– StEP– Industrial Development

Organization (UNIDO)– Environment Programme

(UNEP)– Global Compact (UNGC)

– Global Partnership on Waste Management (GPMW)

– Basel Action Network– e-Stewards / R2– WEEE Forum

Stakeholders

Members– WEEE Centre, Kenya– GLEM, Rwanda– Viafrica, Tanzania

Through the CIO

Community:

Community of support

Thank you…

2 Pleinlaan, 1050 Brussels Belgium

Barbara.toorens@worldloop.org | www.worldloop.org