E-waste in Eastern Europe / Central Asia Jumps 40% in a Decade; 3.2% Collection Rate
???
Electronic waste generated in the Commonwealth of Independent States and Georgia rose by 50% between 2010 and 2019, roughly the world average, but overall just 3.2% was collected and safely managed, well below the 17.4% average worldwide, according to the UN¡¯s first report dedicated to the e-waste issue in the 12 former Soviet countries.
The regional e-waste total jumped from 1.7 Mt to 2.5 Mt (an average 8.7 kg per citizen), with Russia generating the most e-waste in both absolute and per inhabitant terms.
The findings are published in the first-ever ¡°¡±, produced by the Sustainable Cycles (SCYCLE) Programme, co-hosted by the UN University (²ÝÁñÊÓƵ) and the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), in partnership with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
According to the study, the region¡¯s e-waste spans a variety of products, but three categories dominate: temperature exchange equipment (e.g. heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration units), large equipment (e.g. washing machines or ovens), and small equipment (e.g. kitchen equipment or vacuum cleaners) account for 77%.
The annual growth rate in the region has slowed in nearly all categories but remains positive. Only screens and monitors, and small IT equipment, show negative growth rates.
¡°E-waste constitutes one of the fastest growing waste streams in today¡¯s global environment and poses a significant threat to both health and sustainable development,¡± says Ruediger Kuehr, Director of the Sustainable Cycles Programme (SCYCLE).
¡°However, few countries collect internationally comparable e-waste statistics, and many countries lack the capacity to collect e-waste data at both the regional and national level. We need this data to track changes over time, establish national and international policies, limit e-waste generation, prevent illegal dumping, and promote recycling.¡±
This Regional E-waste Monitor for the CIS and Georgia is the first of its kind, reviewing e-waste statistics, legislation, and management, created with the aim of enhancing understanding and interpretation of the problem and facilitating the environmentally sound management of e-waste.¡±
¡°Such a summary allows for international comparisons and contributes to the development of more effective regional e-waste management systems,¡± he adds.
10 tonnes of gold
Co-author Kees Balde of the ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ underlines that managing e-waste could be an economic opportunity in the region by creating enterprises and thus jobs in the recycling sector.
E-waste generated in the CIS and Georgia in 2019 alone contained 10 tonnes of gold, half a tonne of rare earth metals, 1 million tonnes of iron, 85,000 tonnes of copper, 136,000 tonnes of aluminum, and 700 tonnes of cobalt ¡ª representing a total value of US$2.6 billion in secondary raw materials.
Meanwhile, hazardous substances in the region¡¯s 2019 e-waste included at least 2.4 tonnes of mercury, 1.1 tonnes of cadmium, 8,100 tonnes of lead, and 4,000 tonnes of brominated flame retardants ¡ª threats to human and environmental health.
¡°E-waste collection rates need to increase across countries in the region, just as they need to increase elsewhere across the world,¡± says Dr. Balde. ¡°This improvement can be realised through mandatory handover of e-waste to licenced facilities. Also needed are mandatory reporting obligations for all actors collecting e-waste.¡±
UBA president Dirk Messner emphasises that ¡°e-waste is one of the most challenging waste streams all over the world. The amount of electrical and electronic equipment put on the market is rising constantly and thus e-waste does. In Germany we, too, are facing the challenge to boost our collection rates to treat e-waste in the proper way. Policymakers worldwide need a comprehensive analysis of the e-waste situation ¡ª both regionally and on a national level. We are happy that through the Advisory Assistance Programme (APP) we have supported this important project. It has been a fruitful exchange and knowledge transfer for both sides.¡±
Other key findings in the report:
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) placed on the market in the region increased by 10% ¡ª from 2.9 Mt (10.4 kg/inh) in 2010 to 3.2 Mt (11.0 kg/inh) in 2019.
- The CIS+ countries collected and managed 79 kt (0.3 kg/inh) of e-waste in 2019 ¡ª 3.2% of the e-waste generated ¡ª and most of the rest ends up in landfills, with informal recyclers cherry picking some valuable components.
- Belarus and Russia have large domestic EEE production industries; the other countries mostly import the EEE placed on the market.
- E-waste collection for environmentally sound management takes place in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine.
- Belarus has the highest e-waste collection per inhabitant and a collection rate: 33.6% (2.7 kg/inh), followed by Kazakhstan (8.8%; 0.6 kg/inh).
- Some countries (e.g. Georgia, Kyrgyzstan) have no e-waste collection due to a lack of organised, separate collection infrastructure for e-waste (and/or lack official data).
- All 12 countries in the region have well-developed legal and regulatory waste management frameworks, but 6 have no specific legislation nor Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems.
- Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine have adopted e-waste-specific legislation or regulation.
- Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia regulate e-waste through bylaws in national legislation (i.e. specifically mentioning e-waste in their general waste law).
- Armenia and Ukraine are drafting Extended Producer Responsibility systems for e-waste, and Uzbekistan has drafted e-waste legislation.
- In most countries, the Ministry of Environment is the responsible government entity. Municipalities and other waste management authorities, as well as state-owned private companies, collect e-waste for further management, mostly landfilling.
- Producers/importers also collect e-waste under the EPR, but informal operators also exist in the region and focus on valuable e-waste fractions.
The report notes several initiatives and campaign strategies created in the region to create awareness of e-waste collection and recycling with active participation from both the public and private sectors. In some of the 12 countries, the projects and initiatives are conceived and driven by NGOs¡¯ foreign donor funds. These projects that were mapped do not comprise a complete overview in the region, but nonetheless focus on:
- Establishing legal measures;
- National studies to map the e-waste situation;
- Initiatives to increase e-waste collection points;
- Initiatives to export e-waste for environmentally sound management; and
- Awareness raising campaigns
The report calls on the 12 countries in the region to:
- Introduce and enforce a robust legal and policy framework focused on environmentally sound management of e-waste; or
- Monitor and reinforce existing systems to make them more efficient and effective
Also called for:
- Adequate financing of the systems, monitoring, and cooperation of all stakeholders -- essential for ensuring that the policies setup for e-waste management is sustained; and
- Strengthened transnational cooperation to reduce the burden of large investments
The report concludes with detailed individual country profiles and elaborates on seven recommendations, headlined:
- Prevent more;
- Be more aware;
- Collect more;
- Pollute less;
- Pay adequately;
- Work more safely; and
- Train more
???
More information
The ¡°Regional E-waste Monitor CIS + Georgia 2021¡± is available in English and Russian at (English) and (Russian)
Authors are available for advance interviews. They will also take part in a news videoconference on 24 November at 14:00 GMT / 15:00 CET.
Media contact
Terry Collins, +1-416-878-8712, tc@tca.tc
