Electronic waste, also known as e-waste, is one of the fast-growing types of waste worldwide which includes discarded electrical or electronic equipment such as old televisions, computers, printers, mobile phones and lead batteries. High toxicity of e-waste, including lead, causes pollution and health problems if improperly disposed of through methods like incineration. On the other hand, e-waste also contains important secondary non-renewable materials such as copper. Disposal of such valuable materials means that they are lost forever and cannot be reused. This pushes countries worldwide to mine for new materials.
From an economic perspective, e-waste includes non-renewable precious components as gold, silver & copper. If totally disposed, that would absolutely impose a great financial burden on nations who would waste huge budgets again for mining, and hence the value of the Project and its sustainable outcomes such as reducing pollution, preserving non-renewable natural resources, besides creating jobs.
Switzerland has been supporting knowledge partnerships in e-waste recycling with developing countries since 2003. In 2012 the State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO) together with the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Sciences and Technology (EMPA), the World Resources Forum Association (WRFA) and ECOINVENT Association decided to launch the “Sustainable Recycling Industries” (SRI) programme, with the aim of supporting the sustainable integration and participation of small and medium enterprises from developing countries in the global recycling of secondary non-renewable resources. Participating countries include Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, India, Peru, South Africa and Brazil. The programme started in Egypt in 2016 and will be effective until end of 2017.
The SRI programme addresses the demand for a comprehensive international approach to ensure that recovery of secondary resources is enabled under sustainable conditions. Among others, the programme will pursue and promote life cycle thinking, harmonization of international standards towards fair recovery and trade of secondary resources and applying novel financing mechanisms to safely detoxify waste streams and destroy illegal substances. E-waste recycling, therefore, has three crucial benefits: reduction of pollution, conservation of precious natural resources, and creation of new business opportunities.
SRI Egypt is funded by the State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO), the project is implemented by the Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE), the international experts from Sofies Switzerland and is supported by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and the Egyptian Ministry of Environment. Cooperation with other ministries (Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Trade & Industry) as well as synergies with other projects on e-waste is also foreseen.
The Project has extensively assessed the electronic waste sector in terms of different components as far as Egypt is concerned, namely; baseline assessment, conformity assessment, technology partnerships, and financing mechanisms. As a result, the following 8 reports have been developed:
- Mapping of Informal Sector Involved in E-Waste Collection
- Assessment of WEEE Dismantling Business Opportunities – Formal Sector
- Entrepreneurship Assessment Report-Landscape of Sustainable Incubators and Accelerators in Egypt for E-Waste Recycling
- Entrepreneurship Support & Intervention Programme
- Formal Sector Needs Assessment Report
- Extended Producer Responsibility Assessment Report
- SRI Legislations Report
Click to Download Project Flyer
The government of Egypt, represented by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT),has partnered with the SRI Programme by signing a two year agreement with Switzerland to support the sustainable integration and participation of small and medium-sized enterprises in the recycling of electronic waste in Egypt. The project is expected to be completed by December 2017. Improvement of the local capacity of the private and public institutions, as well as the informal sector for sustainable recycling is the main objective. Non-hazardous resourceful management of secondary non-renewable resources will be optimized ensuring job creation as another key output.
The project is implemented by the Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE), the international experts from Sofies Switzerland and is supported by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and the Egyptian Ministry of Environment. Cooperation with other ministries (Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Trade and Industry) as well as synergies with other projects on e-waste (Die Deutsche Gesellschaft for Internationale Zusammenarbeit -GIZ/National Solid Waste Management Programme-NSWMP & United Nations Development Programme/Global Environment Facility, and more) are also foreseen.