The Problem
E-waste Management in the Caribbean
E-waste or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) refers to discarded components, assemblies and consumable items that rely on an electrical current for use. These include end-of-life small and large household appliances, IT and telecommunications equipment, consumer, lighting, leisure and sports equipment, electrical and electronic tools, toys, medical devices, monitoring and control instruments and automatic dispensers.
WEEE contains over 1,000 different substances, many of which are considered hazardous by the Basel Convention. Toxic components include heavy metals such as mercury which is addressed by the Minamata Convention on Mercury, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and brominated flame retardants which are addressed by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
WEEE also contains valuable metals such as gold, copper, aluminium, silver, platinum, iron and nickel, as well as rare materials like indium and palladium. These metals, as well as other material used in e-waste such as plastics, glass, wood and plywood, printed circuit boards, concrete and ceramics, rubber, steel and other items, were estimated to give approximately 53.6 million metric tons of e-waste generated globally in 2019, with a raw material value of approximately $57 billion USD. This shows that there are opportunities for WEEE to be recovered, recycled and sold as secondary raw materials, to further development of a viable circular economy.
In the Caribbean, however, there are limited mechanisms for the environmentally sound management of e-waste and material recovery for economic growth from this waste stream due to small economies of scale and a lack of legislation, infrastructure and institutional capacity for collection and dismantling activities.
E-waste Projects in the Caribbean
Project Aim
The study, conducted between 2014-2016, attempted to identify the local stakeholders involved in WEEE generation and management, the relationships between these stakeholders and the contribution that these stakeholders make to overall e-waste generation and management in Suriname. It also sought to highlight current management practices in place to deal with WEEE as well as the extent of stakeholder knowledge and data management with regards to this waste stream within the local context.
The overall objectives were to:
- Collect, collate and evaluate available secondary data and information pertaining to the generation and flows of EEE and WEEE in Suriname;
- Collect and evaluate primary data and information from key stakeholders in the management of WEEE nationally;
- Estimate the generation of WEEE in Suriname and assess the status of WEEE management, including existing shortfalls in current management practices taking place locally;
- Devise recommended actions to be implemented in the short to medium term in order to achieve the ESM of WEEE in Suriname.
The European Union (EU) Framework Directive was used as the main reference for the definition of WEEE, given the fact that there is no generally accepted definition for the term ‘e-waste’ (Widmer et al., 2005) nor is there any national definition for WEEE in Suriname.
Project Results
The assessment found that gaps in knowledge and practices exist across different sectors and that there are significant weaknesses in this respect as it relates to EEE consumption and WEEE generation in Suriname. The collection of WEEE is being done primarily on an as-needed basis or to facilitate the sale of metal components for revenue by private individuals and organisations. However, such collection is not necessarily being done with the end point of the environmentally sound management of the waste stream being taken into consideration. Furthermore, the existing practices for salvaging metals of value to local dealers and others operating in the country do not necessarily amount to the wise re-use or recovery of these resources within the local system.
Based on the findings of this assessment, the BCRC-Caribbean developed a series of recommendations which can provide a foundation from which a national strategy for WEEE can be developed and implemented in order to achieve the ESM of WEEE in Suriname.
Project Aim
The study, conducted between 2013-2014, attempted to identify the local stakeholders involved in e-waste generation and management, the relationships between these stakeholders and the contribution that these stakeholders make to overall e-waste generation and management in Trinidad and Tobago. It also sought to highlight current management practices in place to deal with WEEE as well as the extent of stakeholder knowledge and data management with regards to this waste stream within the local context.
The objectives were to:
- Collate and evaluate data and information pertaining to the generation and flows of EEE and WEEE in Trinidad and Tobago;
- Assess the various mechanisms currently employed in collecting and managing data and information pertaining to the flows of EEE and WEEE in the country;
- Assess the current status of used and end-of-life EEE management in the country among various stakeholders;
- Evaluate the roles and relationships among stakeholders in WEEE management and quantify their contributions to WEEE generation;
- Assess the national system for WEEE management through the data and information gathered and develop recommendations through which the system can be enhanced in order to ensure the ESM of WEEE and to capitalise on local opportunities associated with WEEE management.
The European Union (EU) Framework Directive was used as the main reference for the definition of WEEE, given the fact that there is no generally accepted definition for the term ‘e-waste’ (Widmer et al., 2005) nor is there any national definition for WEEE in Trinidad and Tobago.
Project Results
The assessment found that gaps in knowledge exist across different sectors and that there are significant weaknesses with respect to data collection and management as it relates to EEE and WEEE generation in Trinidad and Tobago. Additionally, with a minute proportion of WEEE (less than 1%) arriving at existing e-waste management facilities in the country in comparison to national imports of EEE, there are many opportunities for improvement of the WEEE management sector, particularly for IT and telecommunications equipment and consumer appliances.
The establishment of appropriate collection and advanced treatment facilities, public awareness campaigns to increase stakeholder knowledge and inclusion of e-waste legislation following revision of the existing legal framework on waste management have all been highlighted as important actions to pursue in the short-term and beyond. This study has broader application for businesses that wish to assess their internal e-waste generation, and can be used as a model for further e-waste assessments in other small island developing states (SIDS).
The BCRC-Caribbean developed a series of recommendations which can provide a foundation from which a national management system for WEEE can be developed and implemented in order to achieve and harness the potential of the ESM of WEEE in Trinidad and Tobago.
BCRC Website Resources
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