Electrical and electronic equipment when becoming waste (e-waste) such as personal computers, printers, televisions, mobile phones, refrigerators and air-conditioning units is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world today.

E-waste is categorized as hazardous waste due to the presence of toxic materials such as mercury, lead and brominated flame retardants are considered as hazardous waste according to the Basel Convention. E-waste may also contain precious metals such as gold, copper and nickel and rare materials of strategic value such as indium and palladium. These precious and heavy metals could be recovered, recycled and used as valuable source of secondary raw materials. It has been documented that e-wastes are shipped to developing countries where it is often not managed in an environmentally sound manner, thus posing a serious threat to both human health and the environment.

Related EPIs

Chemicals in products

Related people

Feng Wang
I work as a Programme Officer in UNEP in its Paris office. I manage projects in the areas of Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Consumption and Production and Circular Economy, to promote resource efficiency and pollution reduction in many sectors such as plastics, electronics, food and chemicals. In my current work, we develop methodologies and tools to quantify the environmental impacts of chemicals, to enable comparison and identification of alternatives.Feng holds a Doctorate Degree from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, on topics of eco-design and waste management of electronics products. Before joining UNEP, I worked as a researcher in
Ran Xie
I am working on sustainable consumption and production and circularity in sectors such as plastics, electronics and textiles.Through my work I aim to ensure chemicals of concern are taken into consideration along the value chains of these sectors, which is also one of the pillars of UNEP's approach to promote circularity.I provide technical support to the GEF-funded project "Circular Economy approaches for the electronics sector in Nigeria". Under this project, I work with Nigerian partners and international stakeholders to promote environmentally sound treatment of hazardous chemicals in e-waste, as well as advocate best practices on the eco-design of electronic products.
RJR
Robert J. Reinhardt
I am a sustainable business consultant, researcher & cross-disciplinary strategist focusing on establishing the business case for sustainability by driving sustainable innovations in businesses and international organisations through a science based approach. With a PhD in Environmental Engineering on sustainable business model innovation perspectives (going beyond the circular economy) for the emerging electric vehicle battery second use industries, I was able to highlight shared sustainable value creations for multiple-stakeholders and thus I was able to prove the economically viable business case for sustainability in the electric vehicle industry. I apply my academic and industry background in business, environmental science, and
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Muhammad Farooq
It is submitted that in order to highlight the issue of electronic waste (e-waste), its hazardous effects on health & environment as well as loss of precious resources and awareness for the general public about this growing challenge in the field
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Dhrumil Soni

As we strive towards a better world, we work to ensure chemistry’s contributions are realized. Chemistry can help us to understand, monitor, protect and improve the environment around us.

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Florisvindo Furtado

By contributing to the creation and enforcement of national and international legal framework on chemicals and hazardous wastes as well as the related guidelines for the main industry stakeholders and operators, dealing with chemicals or producing

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Leonard Tampushi
Publications on heavy metals in artisanal and small scale gold mining in Kenya in contributed alot on environmental distribution of heavy metals from ASGM.
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Articles of interest

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Report (6)
Emerging Policy Issues:
Hazardous chemicals in electronics (6)
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6 resources found

Circular_Economy_Electronics_LAC
Report

Toward a Circular Economy for the Electronics Sector in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC): Overview, Actions and Recommendations

April 2023
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This report provides an overview of the current status and conditions of the Circular Economy in the electronics value chain in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, identifies key areas of concern, provides appropriate recommendations, and proposes priority actions to improve circularity of the sector. The recommendations and roadmap focus on the individual life cycle stages of the electronics value chain, as well as on aspects that cut across the value chain. The transition towards a more circular electronics sector in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) would require a holistic and coordinated approach to progress toward a more circular electronics value chain in the CEE region.

This publication was prepared under the framework of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) full-sized project 9771: Global best practices on emerging chemical policy issues of concern under the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). This project is funded by the GEF, implemented by UNEP and executed by the SAICM Secretariat.

Emerging Policy Issues: Hazardous chemicals in electronics Chemicals in products
Topics: Circularity E-waste Life Cycle Chemicals in electronics Sustainable Development Goals
Circular_Economy_Electronics_Central_Eastern_Europe
Report

Toward a Circular Economy for the Electronics Sector in Central and Eastern Europe: Overview, Actions and Recommendations

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SAICM
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December 2022
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This report provides an overview of the current status and conditions of the Circular Economy in the electronics value chain in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region, identifies key areas of concern, provides appropriate recommendations, and proposes priority actions to improve circularity of the sector. The recommendations and roadmap focus on the individual life cycle stages of the electronics value chain, as well as on aspects that cut across the value chain. The transition towards a more circular electronics sector in Central and Easter Europe (CEE) would require a holistic and coordinated approach to progress toward a more circular electronics value chain in the CEE region.

This publication was prepared under the framework of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) full-sized project 9771: Global best practices on emerging chemical policy issues of concern under the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). This project is funded by the GEF, implemented by UNEP and executed by the SAICM Secretariat.

Emerging Policy Issues: Hazardous chemicals in electronics Chemicals in products
Topics: Circularity E-waste Chemicals in electronics Life Cycle Sustainable Development Goals
Country: Central and Eastern Europe
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Report

Regional Electronics Study and Circularity Roadmap in the LAC Region: Mapping of Existing Initiatives

by
SAICM Universidad El Bosque
|
September 2021
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Technological development has made electrical and electronic equipment (EEE1) essential parts of contemporary life and indispensable products in today’s societies. Information technology (IT) combined with the technological advances in recent decades, has resulted in EEE having a great influence on the daily life of consumers in aspects such as health, safety, knowledge, comfort information, among others. The global consumption of electronics is growing 2.5 million metric tons per year (Forti, Baldé, Kuehr, & Bel, 2020), because technology increases the living

Emerging Policy Issues: Hazardous chemicals in electronics
Topics: Chemicals in electronics Circularity E-waste
Report

Tackling informalityin e-waste management: The potential of cooperative enterprises

December 2014
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The present paper is the product of a joint effort by the Sectoral Activities Depart-ment and the Cooperatives Unit of the International Labour Organization (ILO).This initiative supports the ILO’s commitment to promote forms of employment that safeguard the environment, eradicate poverty and promote social justice through sustainable enterprises and decent work, as reinforced by the International Labour Con-ference (ILC), at its 102nd session in June 2013. Electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) is currently the fastest growing waste stream, and it
Emerging Policy Issues: Hazardous chemicals in electronics
Topics: E-waste Chemicals in electronics
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