e-waste: from threat to opportunity helen nakiguli editor of question 13 of itu-t study group 5
TRANSCRIPT
E-waste:from threat to opportunity
Helen NakiguliEditor of Question 13 of ITU-T Study Group 5
Facts about e-waste worldwide
There were 50 million tons of electronics discarded in 2013 - about 7kg for every person on the planet
Only 8% of old cell phones are recycled properly
Only 12.5% of e-waste is recycled
Recycling one million laptops saves enough energy to power 3,600 homes
Photo credit: Andrew McConnell/AlamyData sources: http://www.mailinmobile.com/blog/7-shocking-facts-ewaste-worldwide-recycle-devices-today/#sthash.UFwlEc7l.dpuf and
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/dec/14/toxic-ewaste-illegal-dumping-developing-countries
Weaknesses of e-waste management systems
E-waste dispersedIllegal traffic
Lack of transparent management of funding
No clear common definition
Heterogeneous reporting requirements
Lack of internationally comparable data
Developing country-specific criticalities
Speculation on compliance costs
Prevention is better than cure
Sustainable manufacturing practices:
Eco-design Choice of reusable and non-
toxic materials Prolonged products life-cycle E-waste disposals
Policies and standards
Source: http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/crazy-e-waste-statistics-explored-in-infographic.html
UN specialized agency for ICTs unique public/private
partnership
Members: 193 Member States (Governments and regulatory
bodies) Over 700 Private Sector (Sector Members and
Associates) Over 89 Academia
ITU
Importance of global standardsDrive competitiveness, for individual businesses and world economy;
Lower prices;
Reduce technical barriers;
Foster interoperability;
Manufacturers, network operators and consumers;
Reduce negative impacts on the environment.
Work with us!
Study Group 5 – Environment and Climate Change
Working Party 3 – ICTs and Climate Change
Question 13 - Environmental impact reduction including e-waste
ITU-T Study Group 5
Question 13/5: Environmental impact reduction including e-waste
Main study area:
Avoid hazardous materials through standards
Minimize the environmental and health impact of ICT products,
equipment and facilities
Promote proper and environmentally responsible
recyclingFoster responsible and proper
final disposal of e-waste
Question 13/5: Environmental impact reduction including e-waste
Main tasks:
Assist countries to develop policies on e-waste management
Help companies becoming more sustainable and socially responsible
Develop international standards on life-cycle management of ICT equipment
Carry out research and development
Raise awareness
Highlights on deliverables:ITU-T Recommendations
Power supply series
Batteries
E-waste management
Power supply series Recommendation ITU-T L.1000: Universal power adapter and
charger solution for mobile terminals and other hand-held ICT devices: Saves 82,000 tons of e-waste per year Saves at least 13.6 million tonnes of CO2 emissions
annually Recommendation ITU-T L.1001: External universal power
adapter solutions for stationary information and communication technology devices: Saves 300,000 tons of e-waste per year Reduces the energy consumption and greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions of external power supplies by between 25% and 50%
Power supply series DRAFT Recommendation ITU-T L.1002 : External universal power adapter
solutions for portable information and communication technology devices: Reduces e-waste, optimizing the use of scarce and raw materials and
allowing for reuse Recommends design for MTBF 50.000 hours of active use Increases usability
Recommendation ITU-T L.1005 : Test suites for assessment of the universal charger solution: Describes specific test suites to assess energy
efficiency, interworking, safety and electromagnetic compatibility of the universal charger solution and charger
Batteries
Recommendation ITU-T L.1010 : Green batteries solution for mobile phones and other hand-held information and communication technology devices. Extends the lifetime of handsets Reduces global resources consumption Eliminates toxic materials
E-waste management
Necessity of rare-metal recycling: A mobile phone contains no less than 20 rare
metals A ton of gold ore yields just 5 g of gold,
whereas a ton of used mobile phones yields a staggering 400 g.
Recommendation ITU-T L.1100: A method to provide recycling information of rare metals in ICT products.
E-waste managementNecessity of a common and accurate measurement method: For successful recycling, producers are required to provide detailed
information on rare metals to recyclers. A common measurement method can facilitate recycling information
exchanges between producers and recyclers.
Recommendation ITU-T L.1101: Measurement methods to characterize rare metals in information and communication technology goods: XRF (X-ray fluorescence) ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass
spectrometry)
Supplement 5 to ITU-T L-series Recommendations
Agreed: December 2014Title: Life-cycle management of ICT goods
Scope: It provides 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 selection.
Supplement 4 to ITU-T L-series Recommendations
Agreed: December 2014Title: Guidelines for developing a sustainable e-waste management system
Photo: Fairphone, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 (cropped)
Scope: It provides a set of guidelines that
countries could refer to when designing their e-waste management system;
It provides guidance on policy/legal framework, collection mechanisms, financial mechanisms and engagement with all relevant stakeholders.
New work items
Supplement on Collection of sustainable models for e-waste management by private corporations;
Supplement on Assessment of quantity of E-waste in developing countries;
Supplement Circular Economy; Supplement on Implementation guidance for
ICT SME supply chains due diligence on conflict minerals.
An energy-aware survey on ICT device power supplies
Research and developmentIdentifying standards needs
ITU Toolkit on Environmental Sustainability for the ICT Sector
Practical Support Standards Support Checklist
Detailed practical support on how ICT companies can build sustainability into their operations and management
Ongoing contribution to ITU-T Study Group 5 which has the goal of developing global standards in this arena
Standardized checklist of sustainability requirements specific to the ICT sector
Purpose: enable the ICT industry to drive environmental best practice into its own performance.
Collaboration with over 50 partners.
Toolkit contentDocument Summary
Introduction to toolkit A business-led perspective on the use of sustainability in ICT organizations
Sustainable ICT in corporate organizations
Sustainability issues with the use of ICT products and services
Sustainable products Sustainability-led design principles and practice for ICT products
Sustainable buildings Sustainability management of the construction, use and decommissioning of ICT buildings
End-of-life management Support in dealing with the various end-of-life stages of ICT equipment
General specifications and KPIs Environmental KPIs that can be used to manage and evaluate sustainability performance
Assessment framework Mapping the standards and guidelines applying to the ICT industry
End-of-life management for ICT equipment
An outline of the various EOL stages (and accompanying legislation) , and support for creating a framework for environmentally-sound management of EOL ICT equipment.
Clean supply chains
Offsetting and mitigation
Material recovery and recycling
End-of-life management
End-of-life management for ICT equipment
Structure of analysis:Legal frameworksEOL management stepsRegulatory complianceBest practice guidanceClean supply chains and conflict mineralsSocio-economic issuesCorporate social responsibilityChecklists
Key guidance to ensure best practices on: General Material Recovery and Recycling Facility Guidelines: minimum criteria to select a service provider
Clean Supply Chain and Conflict Minerals: an opportunity for a greener industry
Offsetting Opportunities and Mitigation: the ICT sector response to Social and Environmental issues generated by bad EOL practices
Example of end-of-life management processing for computing equipment
24
Example of end-of-life management checklist
25
Conclusions and way forward
26
Environmental, socio-economic aspects
Development of national ICT policies
Adoption and implementation of international standards
ICT product design issues
Principles for donors of ICT equipment
Technical guidance for refurbishment and repair facilities
Development of a global CO2- equivalent market
Recovery of rare metals and green supply chain
Raising awareness
Global portal on ICTs, environment and climate changeLaunched in February 2014
Workshop on “The role of women in e-waste management” during WSIS Forum (May 2015)
Workshop on “E-waste management in the Latin America Region” during COP Basel Convention (May 2015)
Next steps to keep e-waste from growing
Policy makers should have long-term sustainability ambitions Consider e-waste management in the design of ICT policies Implement international standards (ITU-T Recommendations) at the
national level Encourage concerted cooperation in handling e-waste at the national,
regional and international level Improve the sustainability and competitiveness of manufacturing
and business practices Create manufactured products through economically-sound processes
that minimize negative environmental impacts while conserving energy and natural resources
Sustainable manufacturing also enhances employee, community, and product safety and promote green jobs
Foster public-private partnerships Raise awareness at consumer level
THANK YOU
ITU-T/SG5 “Environment & Climate Change”itu.int/go/tsg5
ITU-T and Climate Changeitu.int/go/ITU-T/climate