The number of tools and approaches to develop sustainability is growing rapidly. Sometimes they are presented as if they are contradictory or in competition. However, a systems approach consistent with basic principles and the requirements of sustainability shows that these to...
ViewBCRC China implemented the project, entitled “Survey of the import and the environmentally sound management of electronic wastes in Asia-Pacific Region” funded by the Basel Convention Trust Fund for 2003-2004 and Environment Canada. The participating countries into the project...
ViewThrough the Zero Emissions lens, material cycles from intake to emissions should be managed as a holistic system. Thus, the primary focus is the intake of natural resources within renewable limits and final emissions within acceptable limits. This implies the optimization thro...
ViewFor the review of the WEEE Directive, the European Commission (EC) launched three research studies analyzing the impact and implementation of the WEEE Directive and potential changes that might be required. This study focused on the total environmental, economic and social imp...
ViewEnvironmental technology (ET) has become a catchphrase during the past decades. Nevertheless, an operational definition is not yet plain, allowing manufacturers and engineers to add to their technologies the supplement “environmental” whenever they feel it is appropriate – eve...
ViewThis paper presents four strategic approaches for sustainable regional development: The Natural Step Framework, Zero Emissions, Eco-Industrial Parks, and The Rocky Mountains Institute's Economic Renewal program. Analysis against the requirements of regional planning shows a gr...
ViewThis is a first manual on WEEE/ E-waste which is prepared as a guidance document to support WEEE/E-waste inventorisation and assessment risks involved. The “Definition” of WEEE/Ewaste varies across the continents and countries. These definitions have been discussed to assist p...
ViewInternational Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) of Division of Technology, Industry and Technology (DTIE) of UNEP is assisting member countries on International Solid Waste Management. IETC IETC is also focusing on WEEE/E-waste management as a part of ISWM. As an initial ...
ViewIn this report, five priority areas are identified, reflected in StEP’s five Task Forces: Policy, ReDesign, ReUse, ReCycle and Capacity Building. This report also describes the networking activities (strategic partnerships and linkages) through which StEP complements and lever...
ViewIn view of the growing concerns of e-waste management across the globe, in particular, the developing countries of Asia, the Secretariat of Basel Convention, under the project on Environmentally Sound Management of e-Waste in Asia Pacific, supported 10 Asian countries. India, ...
ViewThis report proposed a methodology to undertake rapid national e-Environment assessments as well as to develop and implement national e-Environment strategies. Among other proposals, the report recommends the preparation of an e-Environment toolkit comprised of best practices ...
ViewThis report comprises the following parts: 1) The description of legislation, standards, and guidelines on general e-waste. 2) The description of legislation, standards, and guidelines on specific types of e-waste. 3) An analysis of specific topics addressed in legislation, st...
ViewThis report discusses how the government of Cambodia is addressing current gaps and future needs to properly manage E-wastes in the PPM. Its specific objectives include building the national and local capacity in Cambodia on inventorization and management of E-waste by underta...
ViewThis paper provides StEP definitions for terms associated with “reuse” of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) or its components. It has been developed within StEP’s Task Force “ReUse” and discussed with StEP’s other Task Forces, thus displaying agreement among the StEP m...
ViewProduct design affects every stage of a product‟s life cycle and can have a significant impact in reducing the negative life cycle impacts on human health and the environment, including end-of-life impacts and waste management. In this guideline, end-of-life impacts, and how d...
ViewThis manual is a global guide for designers and industry, it provides support to ecodesign novices and those looking to further their understanding of the field. It focuses on three different design approaches: redesign of existing products, radical sustainable product innovat...
ViewThe guideline on the refurbishment of used mobile phones is about making mobile phones available for reuse. It provides guidance for refurbishment facilities, and it offers advice and guidance in three parts.
ViewThis guideline encourages the private sector, and companies; that collect used mobile phones to be shipped for reuse, including repair, refurbishment or upgrading, recycling, material recovery, and disposal; to implement practices in an environmentally sound manner, which will...
ViewThe guideline addresses the recycling of all three of the basic components of mobile phones, including (1) the handset, (2) the battery and (3) the battery charger and other accessories. The guideline also addresses the adequacy of the present recycling infrastructure and its ...
ViewThis paper provides guidance to policymakers and system architects on the policy tools, configuration alternatives, financing schemes and management alternatives that may be used to operate systems. This document begins with a description of the generic structure of a take-bac...
ViewThe guideline addresses the transboundary movement of collected used and end-of-life mobile phones. Once collected, the mobile phones should be evaluated and/or tested and labeled to determine whether they are suitable for reuse, possibly after the repair, refurbishment, or up...
ViewThis report captured the world’s current waste management trends and draw attention to the importance of waste management, especially regarding its role in reaching the UN Millennium Development Goals. The publication acknowledges the escalating challenges in solid waste manag...
ViewThis publication is a valuable tool for policymakers, municipal engineers, independent service providers, planners, consultants, researchers and other professionals engaged in designing solid waste management systems in the towns and cities of the developing world. The princip...
ViewThis paper presents data found in the scientific and grey literature about concentrations of lead (Pb), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated dioxins and furans as well as polybrominated dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs and PBDD/Fs) monitored in various environmen...
ViewThis report reflects the results of the exchange programme that took place in the Netherlands and Belgium. As part of the SBC E-waste Africa project, component 4, IMPEL hosted a train-the-trainer event on Ewaste inspection and enforcement. The programme consisted of a combinat...
ViewL.1000 provided high-level requirements for a universal power adapter and charger solution that will reduce the number of power adapters and chargers produced and recycled by widening their application to more devices and increasing their lifetime. The solution also aims to re...
ViewThe study looked into feasible ways to integrate the informal refurbishing and e-waste recycling sector into possible business models in order to identify new market niches and generate significant employment and income opportunities for the urban poor. This report is composed...
ViewThis report looked into the amounts of electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market, e-waste generated and officially collected and treated. It will report on the e-waste solution progress per country or state as an integrator of key take-back system information an...
ViewThis White Paper examines the Commission proposal for a recast of the WEEE Directive, as given in COM(2008)810 final, with reference to among others the findings in the UNU report and experience with the current WEEE Directive from the StEP members coming from all over the wor...
ViewAs a part of Integrated Solid Waste Management Project, UNEP DTIE - IETC is also focusing on electronic waste (WEEE/ E-waste) management. Earlier two manuals, (1) WEEE/ E-waste Assessment Manual and (2) WEEE/ E-waste Management Manual, were prepared. It was identified that maj...
ViewThis paper was developed to depict the worldwide impacts of substance restrictions of ICT equipment. It comprises an overview on hazardous materials in electronics and on the worldwide substance restrictions, which were implemented in the European Union, China, California, Jap...
ViewThe Cote d'Ivoire e-Waste Country Assessment, comprising Component 1 and 2 of the Secretariat of the Basel Convention e-Waste Africa Project, was undertaken between November 2009 and January 2011. The study subjects included; importers and distributers, assemblers, consumers, ...
ViewThis report studied different countries approaches to reveal how the potential for new and better jobs in greener industries is being realized, and, how countries have succeeded in adjusting their training provision to meet new demand; how skill gaps are delaying the green tra...
ViewThe Benin e-Waste Country Assessment, comprising Component 1 and 2 of the Secretariat of the Basel Convention e-Waste Africa Project, was undertaken in Benin between November 2009 and January 2011. The study subjects included; importers and distributers, assemblers, consumers,...
ViewThe collection of municipal solid waste is a public service that has important impacts on public health and the appearance of towns and cities. Unfortunately many urban administrations seem to be losing the battle of coping with the ever-increasing quantities of waste. The cha...
ViewThis paper presents the results of a project aiming to comparatively evaluate the performance of e-waste policies in four European countries (Belgium, Netherlands, France, and Switzerland). Such a comparative analysis could help identify best policy practices used by governmen...
ViewThis document introduced to the knowledge generated through the numerous studies and activities of the E-waste Africa project in the form of conclusions and recommendations primarily for stakeholders in the project partner countries, but also for stakeholders in other African ...
ViewThis manual offers practical guidance and background information to regulatory and enforcement officers who deal with the transboundary movements of used electrical and electronic equipment (UEEE) and electrical and electronic waste (e-waste). While actions of both export and ...
ViewThe European Union’s (EU) Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive was essentially in response to the toxicity of e-waste — to ensure that it was collected and treated in an environmentally sound manner. This paper identifies some key features of the Directiv...
ViewIn 2010, around 7.5 kg per inhabitant of WEEE is reported on a national level as being collected and treated by Wecycle and ICT~Milieu, the two main organizations that implement WEEE producer responsibility in the Netherlands. This is 28% compared to the new WEEE recast level ...
ViewThis report describes the German e-waste management system in the European context. It explains the key players and their roles, shows the performance of the system, and discusses the positive and negative experiences obtained during the five years operation of the German e-wa...
ViewThis guidance originates from work undertaken by UNITAR, with the support of the Government of Switzerland, to assist countries to develop a strategic and programmatic approach towards resource mobilization for the integrated management of chemicals and wastes. In its first ed...
ViewThis study is an integral part of the E-waste Africa Project and contains an in-depth socio-economic study on the functioning and the sustainability impacts of the informal EEE refurbishing and e-waste recycling sector in Lagos, as well as a comparison of currently practiced a...
ViewThis report provides the findings of the e-waste assessment study in Tanzania. The methodology used involved mainly data acquisition and analysis of the e-waste through literature review, consultations with stakeholders, field study questionnaires and observations by the exper...
ViewA number of challenges and shortcomings still hamper the development of a sustainable reverse supply chain and continue to allow unsustainable leakages of both valuable and toxic materials from e-waste. The majority of countries worldwide still lack effective e-waste policy an...
ViewThe Ghana e-Waste Country Assessment, comprising Component 1 and 2 of the Secretariat of the Basel Convention e-Waste Africa Project, was undertaken in the Accra – Tema area of Ghana between November 2009 and January 2011. The study subjects included; importers and distributer...
ViewThe publication provided general guidance pertaining to the environmentally sound management of used and end-of-life mobile phones that includes such considerations as awareness-raising on design considerations, collection, processing, refurbishment, material recovery, and rec...
ViewThe Toolkit on Environmental Sustainability for the ICT sector is an ITU-T initiative which provides plenty of detailed support on how ICT companies can build sustainability into the operations and management of their organizations, through the practical application of interna...
ViewRecommendation ITU-T L.1100 provided information on the recycling procedures of rare metals in information and communication technology (ICT) goods. It also defined a communication format for providing recycling information of rare metals contained in ICT goods.
ViewThis paper acts as a guide for the setup of the country- or region-specific EoL standards taking into account best practices and best available technologies (BAT). This paper is not an EoL standard. Rather, it gives an overview of the principles for the setup of EoL standards,...
ViewThis document presented the methodology for performing a country assessment in order to understand the current framework conditions, including a review of the current legislation, a stakeholder assessment, a mass flow assessment (inventory) and an environmental & socio-economi...
ViewThis survey details and assesses the existing conflict minerals supply chain due diligence initiatives (incorporating national and international legislation, as well as industry-, government- and multistakeholder led schemes) that address the management of the broader spectrum...
ViewThe E-waste Africa Project is a comprehensive programme aimed at enhancing the environmental governance of e-wastes and at creating favorable social and economic conditions for partnerships and small businesses in the recycling sector in Africa. It has been implemented in the ...
ViewThis report presents a national e-waste assessment for Nigeria and investigates the situation with regard to e-waste looking into, inter alia, trends of EEE imports, use and e-waste generation. The Nigerian study is part of the e-waste Africa project of the Secretariat of the ...
ViewThis paper will elaborate on the issues posed by e-waste, the scale of its use, destinations for the trans-boundary trade flow in e-waste, risks to workers, labour and employment issues, chemicals of concern, OSH aspects, and the legal framework. It will take a systems analysi...
ViewThis paper proposes a systematic classification of WEEE, enabling improved scope definition and better comparability of performance results. It is organized based on three essential perspectives: product type, waste management, and legislative relevancy. The proposed classific...
ViewRecommendation ITU-T L.1001 provided requirements for a universal power adapter solution (UPA) for stationary information and communication technology (ICT) devices that will reduce the number of power adapters that are produced by widening their application by more devices, t...
ViewThe growing volumes of end-of-life (EOL)and near end-of-life ICT equipment around the globe is becoming a matter of concern, particularly as ICT equipment is characterized by high demand and a relatively short life-span. The failure to close the loop on e-waste leads not only ...
ViewThis paper takes account of international policies that relate to potential supply and demand distortions of geochemically scarce metals, using indium and tellurium, which are found in thin-film photovoltaics, as examples. The findings of a search among major global institutio...
ViewObsolete electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) produced worldwide and specifically in African countries, together with the absence of well-organized collection and management systems has manifold impacts on the environment, the health of local communities and the economic ...
ViewThis manual is intended to provide guidance for those involved in the prosecution of cases of illegal traffic in hazardous or other wastes within the scope of the Basel Convention. Global in scope, it is intended to provide practical information that will be particularly relev...
ViewThis paper introduces the 'Best-of-2-Worlds' philosophy (Bo2W), which provides a network and pragmatic solution for e-waste treatment in emerging economies. It seeks technical and logistic integration of 'best' pre-processing in developing countries to manually dismantle e-was...
ViewZeroWIN (Towards Zero Waste in Industrial Networks) is a five-year project (2009–2014) under the European Commission’s Seventh Research Framework Programme. The ZeroWIN project has developed effective strategies for waste prevention through industrial networks. Ten industrial ...
ViewThe population exposed to potentially hazardous substances through disposal and recycling of end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment is increasing. This paper summarises the evidence for the association between exposure to e-waste and outcomes related to exposures such...
ViewThis report informs policymakers about how the recycling of metals can be optimized on an economic and technological basis along product life cycles in the move towards sustainable metals management. The report discusses how to increase metal-recycling rates – and thus resourc...
ViewThe goal of this report was to enable a better understanding of the e-waste system in China, including actors, projects, policies and other factors, and to facilitate further discussion, project initiation and communication among organizations working on e-waste in China.
ViewThis green paper describes, quantifies and analyzes the global trajectory of discarded electrical and electronic equipment. In addition, the paper reviewed the key international, regional and national regulations and guidelines that govern the transboundary flows of this mater...
ViewIn response to the lack of specific data and little awareness from public health on the effect of e-waste on children's health, the WHO department of Public Health and Environment (PHE) developed a specific plan of action. This initiative includes raising awareness of and comm...
ViewFollowing the launch of a new initiative by WHO addressing electronic waste and child health, the United Nations University (UNU), which hosts the Solving the E-waste Problem (StEP) Initiative, and WHO carried out an on-line survey with a wider body of experts. This survey ai...
ViewThe Guidelines for National Waste Management Strategies: Moving from Challenges to Opportunities – a joint effort of the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research – sets a conceptual and methodological framework for nationa...
ViewThis edited volume provides a forum for young scholars to present their research and contribute to the international debate of challenges and solutions for global e-waste management. The book contains research that was presented at the NVMP-StEP E-waste Summer School Series 20...
ViewIn this report, StEP covered design aspects, with special attention to design for disassembly, design for re-use and design for end of life. With smart product design, products can be more easily disassembled and materials liberated at pre-processing phases of the value chain....
ViewThe report provides patent based evidence on the available technologies and the patenting trends in the area of electronic waste (E-waste) recycling and material recovery, while it is intended to provide background and supporting information to the Partnership for Action on Co...
ViewSolving the E-waste Problem (StEP) Initiative and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) have established a formal partnership focusing on the development of a sound e-waste management system for Ethiopia. In service of this goal, this study was carried out ...
ViewThis guideline promoted greater reuse of computing equipment, through environmentally sound refurbishment and repair and the environmentally sound management of any discarded equipment or components. Extending the life of computing equipment generally results in the best envir...
ViewThe framework for ESM of hazardous wastes and other wastes was developed to identify what countries should do at the national level and collectively as parties to the Convention to address the challenges of implementing ESM of wastes in a systematic and comprehensive manner. I...
ViewThis report provides an overview of the parties involved in the collection and recycling of WEEE, as well as the challenges they face due to the new EU Directive. It addresses the first knowledge gap by presenting a method for the calculation of the (W)EEE generated, as well a...
ViewThis paper addresses how to enhance e-waste estimates by providing techniques to increase data quality. An advanced, flexible and multivariate Input-Output Analysis (IOA) method is proposed. It links all three pillars in IOA (product sales, stock and lifespan profiles) to cons...
ViewThis guideline describes the chain of steps that should be taken in order to ensure environmentally sound management in material recovery facilities that recycle electronics, and to encourage operators at each step to know about, work with, and take their responsibility for hu...
ViewThis paper discusses the provisions of the Basel Convention that concern e-wastes, and it further examines the potential impact of the Draft technical guidelines on transboundary movements of e-waste and used electrical and electronic equipment, in particular regarding the dis...
ViewThis work supports the Commission in meeting the requirements of Article 7 and enhancing the collection and environmental performance of the WEEE Recast in practice. This is done by developing common methodologies for the calculation of the quantities of POM WG based on compre...
ViewThere is global inconsistency in the understanding and application of the term “e-waste” in both legislation and everyday use. This has resulted in many definitions contained within e-waste regulations, policies and guidelines. This paper provides a non-legal definition of the...
ViewThis Annual Report serves as an introduction to StEPs new wording and adjusted approach, Ít also covers accomplishments and milestones. It shall not serve simply as a report on progress made, but also as an invitation to StEP.
ViewWaste from end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment, known as e-waste, is a rapidly growing global problem. E-waste contains valuable materials that have economic value when recycled. Unfortunately, the majority of e-waste is recycled in the unregulated informal sector ...
ViewInformation and communication technology (ICT) goods, which consist of many parts and modules, are comprised of relatively small quantities of rare metals and larger quantities of major materials (e.g., iron, nonferrous metals, plastics, glasses, and engineering ceramics). The...
ViewThe Global E-waste Monitor 2014: Quantified, Flows and Resources is the first publication and provided an unprecedented level of detail and accuracy about the size of the world’s e-waste challenge, ongoing progress in establishing specialized e-waste collection and treatment s...
ViewTo address the issue of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) or e-waste in Uganda the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) aimed at the implementation of a manual e-waste treatment facility in Kampala, Uganda. As a first step, this report pres...
ViewThis report provided StEP Initiative’s recommendations for a comprehensive approach to responsible e-waste management to be included in a standard or set of standards aimed at the responsible collection, handling, treatment and disposal of electrical and electronic equipment a...
ViewAs a follow up to the working paper The global impact of e-waste: Addressing the challenge (1), this paper provides further insight on the e-waste sector, focusing on labour challenges and opportunities to leverage working conditions through the promotion of cooperatives and o...
ViewRecommendation ITU-T L.1010 defines a minimum set of parameters necessary to identify green battery solutions that should be considered by developers/manufacturers to reduce the future environmental impact of battery use. The provision of so-called green batteries is to extend...
ViewSupplement ITU-T L.Suppl.5 has been developed to provide information for the practical implementation of the life-cycle approach in companies, facilities and plants as well as distributors, including chapters on best practices with a specific focus on material usage and select...
ViewThis research paper examines the labor, human health and environmental dimensions of e-waste management in China, analyzing both the formal and informal sectors. It identified the needs for synergizing policies and measures concerning environmental pollution control and labor ...
ViewThis paper explores the large variety of policy options that have been implemented around the world and it draws some conclusions about the nature of responses to the e-waste problem and potential policy recommendations.
ViewThrough this report, the extent to which certification schemes are currently used can be understood, It provided the basic requirements of a national and regional strategy for environmentally sound management of computer equipment waste; guidance to developing countries and co...
ViewThese guidelines are adopted on an interim basis. It provided guidance on the application of the transboundary movements provisions to [transboundary movements of] waste electrical and electronic equipment (ewaste) and used electrical and electronic equipment (used equipment) ...
ViewUNIDO and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia with financial support from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) have launched the E-waste Management Project in Ethiopia (EWaMP) to promote and upscale the management of E-waste in Ethiopia. The project was initiated an...
ViewIn 2014, Latin America produced 9 percent of the world’s electronic waste1 (e-waste), the equivalent of 3,900 kilo tonnes2 (kt), according to a new report from the GSMA and United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS). The study, “E-wa...
ViewThis letter introduced to a project which aims to strengthen capacities for increased business opportunities in the electronics industry and create e-waste management skills and knowledge.
ViewThis study supports the Commission in meeting the requirements of Article 11(6). Results of this study showed that the new recovery targets to be applied from 2018 onwards (based on EU6) maintain a similar level of ambition compared to the ones introduced from 2015 onwards (ba...
ViewThis paper aimed at working out a proposal for an efficient and effective e-waste collection system in Ethiopia. Based on the assessment of four Ethiopian cities (Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Hawassa and Jigjiga) the study lays the ground for a future national ewaste collection sys...
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